


Sail

by SXM132



Category: Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-01-31 01:15:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 39,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21437773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SXM132/pseuds/SXM132
Summary: A collection of one-shots and drabbles set in the 'Deep Blue' universe. Mercedes X Luka. Varied word counts, timelines, and ratings (G-M)
Relationships: Luka/Mercedes (Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius)
Kudos: 10





	1. Judging a Book

**Author's Preface**

These are bits and blurbs from the [Deep Blue](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800847/chapters/36773154) universe, ranging from pre-canon to waaay into the future. Please observe each chapter's summary and rating before reading. There will be adult content and sensitive themes. 

Explicit chapters are marked ***** if you want to skip them (or skip right to them. No judgement here.)

* * *

Prompt: Whyt  
Summary: There’s a thief in the Warden home. Nichol is going to get to the bottom of it.  
Timeline: Early post-sequel  
Rating: T

-

Nichol stared at the empty space in his bookcase, taking deep, measured breaths to combat his growing aggravation. Naturally he’d noticed the novels disappearing. Sometimes they would turn up again, placed haphazardly back on the shelves and irresponsibly un-alphabetized. In other instances they would vanish entirely. A few missing books was one thing. He could live with that. But _ this _ one — his _ favorite _ one — had now been added to the list of abductions. It was missing the week prior when he’d left for Aldore, and now upon his return its spot was still vacant. It was time to take a stand. 

Nichol stormed out of his quarters and nearly collided with his sister in the hall. Luka swerved to avoid him, holding her hands up defensively. “My, what has you so rattled?”

“My books. They’re out of order. On top of that a dozen of them are missing.”

“You’re certain you haven’t misplaced them?” she asked.

“I would never,” he answered indignantly. “We both know who’s responsible and there’s little use in trying to protect her.”

Luka creased her brow. “You’re accusing Mercedes?”

“Who else has access to this home and a propensity for stealing things?”

Sighing, Luka gave him a look of slight disappointment. She maneuvered around him and continued to walk toward the front door. “If you think it’s her then ask her.”

Nichol made a sour face and watched her leave. Like it would be as simple as asking Mercedes. She’d lie. He would need to devise some method of catching her instead. But how? She would never let her guard down if she thought he was around. The key was to make her believe he wasn’t there; to hide in plain sight. Upon further thought, he knew exactly how to accomplish such a feat.

Taking a last glance at the door Luka exited from, he began to walk in the opposite direction. By the time he reached the end of the corridor his appearance had changed completely. Thanks to the Whyt in Paladia he had far more tricks up his sleeve than the former pirate realized. There was only one person in Olderion who Mercedes trusted implicitly, and he’d use that to teach her a lesson whether she liked it or not.

With a steeling breath he stepped out onto the veranda. Mercedes was lounged in the shade there, quietly engrossed in the book she was reading. Of course. When she wasn’t busy fawning over his sister or bossing around her band of brutes, she was usually buried in some piece of literature. She was unquestionably the culprit.

Mercedes didn’t look up until he cleared his throat, and she regarded him with a composed, curious expression. “What happened? I thought you were picking Ellie up from her grandparents.”

“O-oh. Nichol offered to do it instead,” he responded. The voice that came out, however, was that of his sister’s. He was disguised as her, after all, and based on Mercedes’s laid back demeanor she was none the wiser.

“That was nice of him.” She looked back down at her book and cozied into her seat more. “Let me just finish this chapter and we can do something, okay?”

Nichol nodded, sitting opposite her on an ottoman. “What are you reading?” he asked suspiciously.

“The one you’ve been nagging me about,” she said, as though it were obvious. “I’m at the part where he meets that super important guy. What’s ’is name again?”

“Uhm … I can’t remember.”

“That’s unlike you.” Mercedes lifted her head again, quirking her brow when she noted how far away he was sitting from her. “You feeling alright, love?”

Seeing the hint of worry in her eyes, it almost ebbed his anger and made him feel guilty. He pushed passed it, trying to get her back on subject. “I think I’d like something new to read. Do you have any suggestions?”

Mercedes pursed her lips in thought for a moment, before she closed the book and stood. “Yeah, I might know something you’ll like. Follow me.”

She left the veranda and made a beeline for Nichol’s quarters. His jaw practically dropped. She wasn’t even _ attempting _ to hide it. Had she no shame? Trailing after her he tried not to let his bubbling irritation show in his voice. “Where are we going?”

“The library.”

“That’s my brother’s room,” he corrected. 

“Same thing.”

Nichol puffed out his cheeks. “He doesn’t like people going in there.”

“He won’t notice,” Mercedes dismissed, and slipped inside as if she owned the place. Nichol clenched his fists at his side and said nothing, watching her saunter over to his books and skim her fingers across their spines. She stopped at L and pulled a book out, then extended it toward him. “This one’s about a lion and a mage. Wasn’t quite my style. You like cutesy things though.”

This was definitive proof that she was the one coming into his chamber and taking his belongings. But he needed to know, with absolute certainty, that she was responsible for taking _ the _ book. “Maybe not that. I want to try something darker,” he baited her, “Maybe something of historical fiction. Or with a female lead.”

Mercedes looked at him with an amused expression. “How funny you should mention that,” she said, tucking the other novel back. “I’m reading one just like that. It’s on the ship.”

She took it! She took his favorite book!

“When I’m finished I’ll give it to you. You have to put it back here afterward. I prefer not to hold onto them for too long.”

“Why, because otherwise my brother will notice?” Mercedes blinked in surprise at his righteous tone. Regardless, he continued. “He’s very protective of his books. He wouldn’t even let _ me _ near them as a child. You shouldn’t be taking them without his permission.”

“Please. He’s barely around anyway, I’m sure he doesn’t mind that I borrow a few books.”

“I’m sure that he minds _ immensely_.” With an angry pout he wagged his finger at her, placing his other hand on his hip for emphasis. “Don’t take any more. Or else.”

Bad move. He watched as a certain glint caught in her eyes, and the corner of her lip twitched into a smirk that had him feeling very uncomfortable. “Or else what?” she challenged. She stepped forward and he instinctively stepped back — right into another bookcase. Mercedes caged him in, placing her hands on either side of his head on the shelf. Only then did it fully register with him that he was disguised as his sister. His sister who was in a relationship with Mercedes. Who was now making it very clear what the extent of that relationship was.

“You gonna tell on me?” she asked, her voice silky in a way that turned him beet red.

“W-Wait. Mercedes, let’s be sensible about this and-” 

She leaned forward and he squeaked. _ Poof! _ His magic unraveled in a puff of smoke, broken in his frazzled state. When the smoke cleared he found himself nose to nose with a startled and practically paralyzed Mercedes. Her emerald eyes were wide, stunned, and her cheeks were growing ever pinker by the second. It was only a matter of time before rage kicked in, and Nichol cleared his throat and managed nervously, “I can explain.”

-

Luka and Arsha were barely through the threshold when their ears were accosted by the shouting indoors. 

“Don’t go into my quarters!”

“Don’t try to seduce me as my girlfriend!” 

“_Seduce _ you?! How in the world was I _ seducing _ you?!”

The pair exchanged glances, wondering what parallel universe they’d inadvertently slipped into. 

“What’s all that about?” Arsha murmured. 

Luka sighed and shifted Ellie on her hip. “Nichol was going on about some missing books.”

“Oh.” Arsha looked down at her groceries sheepishly. “That was me. I took a few to read to Ellie at bedtime. I’m afraid I may have messed up the arrangement too.”

“Return my book immediately!”

“No, ya perv! After what you pulled I might just keep it!”

“Should we tell them?” Arsha asked. 

Luka waved her hand dismissively and headed for the kitchen. “They’ll figure it out.” 


	2. An Honest Living

Prompt: An argument in 300 words  
Summary: Luka takes issue with Mercedes’s business model.  
Timeline: Pre-sequel  
Rating: T

-

Luka frowned from her vantage point in the marketplace, her eyes locked on Mercedes. The former pirate rested her head in her palms and leaned her weight against the vendor’s countertop, undoubtedly giving the man a generous view of her chest. Her smile was bright, expression both playful and invested in whatever he had to say. He suddenly bellowed a deep laugh, and she met it with one of her own and touched his arm. Clenching her fists, Luka walked over to the pair briskly. 

“A word?”

Before the other woman could answer she took her hand and pulled her away.

“What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? What are _ you _ doing?” Luka rounded on her, clearly bothered.

“Securing another investor, of course.”

“Securing another investor. Like that.”

“_That _ is how you creep beneath a man’s guard,” Mercedes explained, “How you convince him to hand over what you need, without risking your life or your crew. I need the support if I’m to make an honest living in this port.”

“There are other means of garnering support,” Luka argued back pointedly. “_Flirting _ like that may have worked for you at sea, in Ruffian, but here it is completely inappropriate. Not to mention hurtful.”

“This is silly,” Mercedes murmured. “You’re taking this way out of hand. It’s just a bit of flattery. You’ve nothing to be jealous of.”

Luka narrowed her gaze. Mercedes was awed that such an expression was actually directed at _ her _of all people. “If you seek an honest living, then conduct yourself honestly.” That said, she abruptly turned.

Mercedes swore under her breath, looking back at the vendor. Patching things up with her partner was decidedly more important than continuing their conversation, so she meandered through the crowd after her in the hopes of making peace.


	3. Shipmates

Prompt: Rikodoki  
Summary: Mercedes discovers a quirk about Luka.  
Timeline: Deep Blue  
Rating: G

-

“I don’t like the Subterranean Streams as much as the next fellow, but we’re going to have to buck up and face whatever might be lurking there.” 

“Right.”

“We’ll sail inside and walk the rest of the way. If you purify the heart of the water source it should trickle down through the rest of the caverns. Which should save us some trouble with the monsters.”

“Mm-hm.”

Mercedes gave Luka a slanted look. She rested her head in her palm and stared at her expectantly. “After that I thought we might take our clothes off and play hopscotch on the deck.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Mercedes raised her brow, until the drawn out silence had at last brought Luka’s gaze back to her. “What?”

“You’re not paying attention.” 

“I am,” she insisted, though her eyes darted off to a corner of the mess hall again.

“What are you looking at?”

“I just thought that …” Her posture straightened with a soft intake, and Mercedes jumped slightly when she felt her grab her thigh beneath the table. “Look.”

“Look at _ what_, Luka?”

“Anet and Merrow,” she said, nodding her head subtly to the other table. Mercedes wrinkled her nose and looked over. The two men were sitting side by side, idly chatting with one another over their dinner. Then, ever so casually, Anet reached up to pet the nape of Merrow’s neck. The hand on her thigh squeezed tighter. 

“There it is again,” Luka whispered excitedly. “Do you think — Could it be they’re together?”

“They _ are _ together.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it’s really none of our business,” she answered. Unless, it was more Luka’s business than she realized. Doubt crept into her stomach. “Why? You like one of ‘em?”

“Huh? Oh, no no,” the priestess said, shaking her head emphatically.

Mercedes frowned. “You’re blushing though.”

“That’s because …” Luka peeled her hand away from Mercedes, balling her fists in her lap. “I-I just think it’s really cute.” Her eyes flickered back to the pair, the red of her cheeks darkening. “Do you ever see them kiss?”

“Alright missy, you are officially being creepy,” Mercedes chided. Slipping her fingers under Luka’s chin she tilted it toward her. “Give them some privacy. Imagine if they looked at us like that.”

“Like what?” Luka asked. “Like they thought we were a couple?”

It was Mercedes’s turn to blush. She’d walked right into that, hadn’t she? Aware that she was still holding Luka’s chin she let her go and picked up her fork again, pushing her vegetables around awkwardly. _ Were _ they a couple?

Luka didn’t seem fazed by it. Her attention went straight back to the two crewmen, and a look of deep determination invaded her gaze.

“I have a new goal before this mission is over.”

“Oh?”

“I want to see them kiss.”

“Please don’t harass my crew, Luka.”


	4. Aftermath

Prompt: Fever   
Summary: A captain tends to a dying lackey.  
Timeline: Mercedes backstory | Pre-canon  
Rating: T

-

Seaking entered his cabin with heavy shoulders, prepared for whatever he might find. Inside on the massive bed his apprentice lain prone, shivering, her skin slick and gleaming in the light of the lantern. He’d surrendered his quarters as a makeshift infirmary, in an effort to speed along her recovery. Instead, day by day Mercedes grew weaker, sicker. He was fast losing faith that she would survive this voyage.

Dragging a chair along the floorboards he parked it beside her, then set down a basin of water and a first aid kit. With a gravelly sigh his fingers went to the ties of her bandages, not at all looking forward to the task at hand.    
  
She stiffened immediately. “Please. No.” 

“Sorry, lass. Bite down if you need to.”

Mercedes shuddered and took his advice, pulling close a leather belt that was already coiled around her palm. Her breathing was short and shallow as the bandages began to peel away. They caught on her wounds, tearing them open anew. She clenched her jaw tight and muffled pathetic whimpers into her pillow.

“No more, it’s done,” Seaking assured quietly. His eyes swept over her back, familiar doubt creeping into his stomach again. Infection had set in, angry and ugly. Few crewmen reached this point and lived to tell of it. One or two lacerations, they’d have a fighting chance. But there were so many. Stitches were barely holding her together in some places.

“Is it bad?” Mercedes rasped. 

“It’s a right mess, I’ll tell ya that.” He wet a rag and dabbed at the lashmarks. “We’ve got to find land and get you to a healer, pronto.”

“Am I going to die?”

His movements faltered at that, before he drew out a curt laugh and continued. “You’re too stubborn to die. Toughest lass I ever met.”

Mercedes fell into silence, quivering through her fever. After a while, he suspected she may have lost consciousness again. Ointment was applied and fresh bandages were laid. Only when he closed the medical kit did she finally find her voice. “Please let me stay. I’m sorry. I should’ve listened to you.”

“Don’t you go apologizin’ to me. Apologize to yourself,” he said, resting back against the chair. “You come outta this alive. And you don’t let it happen again. Got that, Erinys?”

“Mercedes.”

“Wha’s that?” He scooted closer to better hear her.

She swallowed, trying again despite the chills that racked her form. “Mercedes. My mother named me Mercedes.”

It seemed important that he call her that. Perhaps she wanted to die with her given name, rather than that of a demon’s. “Alright. Mercedes from now on then,” he promised. Offering her a comforting smile, he combed back the bangs that had plastered to her forehead. “It’s Eugine if you’re curious. Don’t you go tellin’ anyone though.”

“I’ll take it to my grave,” she humored, her dry lips twitching into a smile. Seaking savored the expression, his heart heavy. He prayed such a day would not come soon. Somewhere over the last three years she’d become more to him than an apprentice. She was family, in every sense of the word but blood. He wasn’t ready to let her go. Not just now. Not like this.


	5. Of Princes and Pirates

Prompt: Jealousy  
Summary: Luka meets with an emperor. Mercedes vents with a gladiator.   
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: G

-

Mercedes held out her hand for Luka as she stepped from the carriage, her eyes wandering the large expanse of the castle grounds. She’d been to Zoldaad before, of course, though only its port cities. It felt strange to be so far from the sea, from her ship, but the discomfort suited her more than the idea of Luka traveling alone.

As an ambassador of Olderion Luka was here on business. The emperor himself had extended the invitation, so that they might both discuss their countries’ continued collaboration. Zoldaad was slowly recovering from the political upheaval it experienced in the not-so-distant past, and the threat of war had been snuffed with the passing of its previous emperor. Still, Shera’s new regime brought with it new complications — and its effects had, quite literally, hit Olderion shores in a significant way.

That was a story for another time, however.

“Mercedes.” The copper haired woman looked toward her partner, feeling the tug of Luka’s hand in hers. The priestess held a hint of trepidation in her voice. “This is a very important meeting. While I have complete faith in you, I do want to remind you-”

“To behave myself?” She brought that hand up to kiss the back of it, then laced their arms together. “I will, I promise.” She’d already put in the effort to appear civilized; adorning modest clothing and reigning her mane of hair into a low ponytail. She looked the part, though she suspected Luka was more concerned about her personality.

Arm in arm, they walked into the castle to be received by the emperor. At the end of a long stretch of brilliant crimson carpet they arrived at the throne where he stood in wait. Luka curtsied, and Shera walked forward in a deep bow of his own. When he righted himself he regarded her with a large and genuine smile. “Lady Luka. It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“The same,” she said. The warmth in both of their voices was palpable. Mercedes observed the exchange from a few paces away. He was more handsome than she realized, with bright features and a disposition that matched. There was an innocence and kindness about the prince that reminded her all too well of Luka herself. She couldn’t grasp why, but just seeing the two of them side by side seemed uncannily — right. Right enough to rub her all the wrong ways.

“Our schedule today is tight, I’m afraid. I thought perhaps we could discuss matters on a tour of the castletown. What do you say, Lady Luka?” Shera offered his arm. Not wanting to offend him Luka took it, smiling with a nod, “If you wish it so, Your Highness.”

They ventured toward a door at the side of the throne room. Mercedes moved to follow, before her path was blocked by the emperor’s entourage of guards. “That will be all. You may return to escort our guest at sundown,” said the colder-looking of the two maids.

Luka looked back, worried. “Oh, but —” 

“It’s alright,” Mercedes interrupted gently. “I’ll see you later.”

She waited for the party to exit, then turned for the main entrance. She didn’t want to leave Luka alone. She wanted to argue her case, insist she was there for Luka’s protection. But who was she trying to fool? Luka was far more powerful than she could ever hope to be. She’d tagged along for no greater purpose than to keep the priestess company. She didn’t need to be there, and she was fine with that.

She was fine with Luka being privately wined and dined by such a dapper, young prince.

She was fine with the natural chemistry that seemed to radiate off the two of them.

“That’s quite the sour puss ya got there.”

Mercedes looked up. In the midst of her brooding she’d somehow wandered into the city’s marketplace. To the side of her stood an emerald haired woman. She was dressed in casual athleticwear, a basket of groceries saddled to her hip. By her sinewy physique and battery of new and old scars Mercedes could tell she was a warrior. Her eyes were kind, and her smile so friendly that Mercedes bit back the cynical quip she’d been about to respond with.

The woman’s gaze landed on the axe sheathed and tethered behind her, and she nodded to it. “That for show or you actually use it?”

“Every day,” Mercedes replied. What did it matter?

The woman gave another friendly smile. “I don’t know about you, but when I’m in a bad mood a good spar really sorts me out. Wanna have a go?” 

Mercedes sized her up. She hadn’t had a decent, even fight in a very long time. Not since Rain, she imagined. This woman had more muscle on her, though they seemed relatively well matched regardless. “I could blow off some steam,” she agreed, and extended her hand. “Name’s Mercedes.”

“Cedona,” said the woman, meeting her with a firm handshake. “Come to the colosseum in an hour’s time. It’s closed today but I’ll swing you in.”

-

Mercedes walked in a circle, taking in the empty arena. She was back in her typical garb already; Luka would throw a fit if she tattered her new uniform. Cedona had arrived in sparse armor carrying a sword and buckler. It registered with Mercedes that she must fight here regularly.

Cedona began to explain the rules, which were straightforward and simple enough. Points would be collected for every hit. Attacks were to stop before contact with unarmored skin, or at minimum reduced to a tap. There would be zero tolerance for potentially lethal strikes.

“That all sound good to you? If not we can tame it down. No weapons, no worries.” 

Before Mercedes could respond a shuffling echo interrupted her. They both looked up as a small group filled the space within the emperor’s box. 

“Your Highness.” Cedona bowed at the waist.

“I didn’t realize you would be practicing today,” Shera called down. “Please, may we observe?”

“Of course.” She turned, giving her opponent a smirk. “You don’t mind, right Mercy?”

Mercedes frowned, both at the unwanted intrusion and the informal nickname. Her eyes darted up to the emperor’s box again, finding Luka. She looked back at her with confused, concerned eyes, before Mercedes pulled hers away. “It’s fine.” Hefting up her weapon she sauntered off to the center of the arena.

“Your Highness, will you do the honor?” Cedona called.

“Ready yourselves.” Shera raised his arm high above his head. After a pause, he thrust it forward. “Begin.”

As the match commenced he ushered Luka to the seat beside his throne. “This is an unexpected treat. Cedona is one of our city’s finest gladiators.” Leaning forward, he squinted as Mercedes brandished her axe. “That weapon. My word — isn’t she your escort, Lady Luka?”

The priestess flushed awkwardly and said nothing, her gaze trained on the circling figures below.

Cedona was the first to initiate, testing her opponent’s reflexes with a few varied swings. Mercedes was able to block them all with a twist of her axe, then swiped out on the offensive. The gladiator met it with her buckler, and the pattern continued — faster and stronger as they learned the other’s movements.

Aware of the monotony Cedona jumped back, catching her breath with a grin. “Not bad.” She snapped her sword. A rush of flames spiraled from the hilt to envelop the blade, and she thrust it out toward the other woman in true showboating fashion.

Mercedes openly laughed. “That supposed to scare me?”

“Maybe,” Cedona taunted. “Get ready to dodge.”

With a flash of her blade the attack shot out, a torrent of fire rushing for Mercedes. Instead of avoiding it she charged straight ahead. Her hand flew forward and fire struck water — large plumes of steam billowing from the site of impact. Mercedes burst from its coverage with her axe raised high, then slammed it into the earth. The ground erupted in several angry geysers, forcing Cedona into a dance to avoid them all.

When the rumbling of the attack ceased they could hear clapping from their audience. Mercedes’s lip twitched in a haughty smirk. Cedona grinned back, a competitive gleam invading her eyes. She came at her again with a loud battlecry, their weapons hissing and sizzling as they repeatedly collided. This time, however, Mercedes found herself being pushed back.

Cedona’s endurance was a testament to all her hard work training in the arena. Mercedes could already feel her muscles getting heavy, trembling as they repelled the other woman’s blows. The gladiator only seemed to be getting stronger. Her sword struck Mercedes’s axe head-on with enough pressure to leave her shaking, straining not to take a knee.

Gritting her teeth Mercedes glanced at the emperor’s box, at Shera and Luka seated side by side. Rattled, she let out an angry war cry of her own and pushed free of Cedona’s attack, swinging out for her again, and again, and again. Cedona evaded the barrage with concentrated, matted brows. She’d noticed the change in her opponent’s demeanor immediately, and knew it was time to put an end to this.

It all happened faster than Mercedes could register in her agitated state. Cedona jammed her buckler into the space between her arms, wrenching the Viking Axe out of her grasp. In one fluid motion she ducked, and the sole of her boot collided with Mercedes’s abdomen. Doubling over, she hit the ground hard on her backside and elbows. The heat of Cedona’s blade hovered just over her throat, and Mercedes lifted her chin away from it nervously. 

“WINNER!” the emperor shouted.

The box of onlookers erupted in applause. All but one. Luka simply stared. Humiliated, Mercedes looked away. There was suddenly a hand in her peripheral, and she turned to find Cedona offering it. “Sorry I cut that short,” she said. “I’d have been hacked in two from one of those blows, you know.”

“I’m sorry,” Mercedes muttered, her tone regretful. She accepted the help and let the gladiator pull her to her feet, her eyes downcast. “I lost my head.”

“I don’t blame you,” said Cedona. She watched the party exit from the door they’d come from. “She must be special to have you so riled up.” Mercedes blinked at her, dumbfounded, and Cedona nearly cracked a laugh. “With how many glances you stole over there, any fighter worth their salt could tell she was distracting you.”

The copper haired woman looked back at the ground. If it was obvious enough for a stranger to notice then Luka doubtlessly had as well. Cedona in the meantime retrieved her axe, then held it out for her. “Feeling any better?”

“Worse, actually,” she admitted, taking the weapon.

“Ah shoot. I’m sorry.” The gladiator offered another friendly smile. “Let me make it up to you. How does lunch sound? On me of course.”

Mercedes glanced up at the empty emperor’s box, then sighed. “Alright.”

-

Tying a shawl around her shoulders, Luka exited the captain’s quarters into the windy night air. She peeked inside Mercedes’s office only to find it dark and empty. Stepping back, she looked up toward the helm. Sure enough her partner was there, her expression blank and fixed on the black seas ahead of them. Frowning, Luka mounted the stairs and ascended to her level.

It was quiet for a moment, before Mercedes offered a calm excuse. “Rukh’s back pain is acting up again. Figured I’d take his shift.”

“So that’s why,” Luka replied, though her soft voice carried a trace of doubt. They hadn’t spoken at all about what transpired in Zoldaad earlier. Luka didn’t feel it was proper to bring up in the presence of castle retainers, and their carriage ride back to port had been long and awkward. Mercedes feigned sleep for most of it. Luka had been hoping to talk with her in the seclusion of their cabin, but after a handful of hours she still hadn’t come to bed. It was beginning to weigh on her heart. 

“Do you want to tell me why you were picking fights with gladiators?”

Silence.

Luka tried a different approach. “Have I done something to upset you?”

Mercedes finally looked at her, eyes laden with guilt. “Of course not.” She looked back at her grip on the helm. “It’s just …” Her voice caught in her throat. She’d been trying so hard to be more honest with Luka. But damn was it difficult. “Seeing that young, regal thing treat you so well … it seemed fit for you. To be with a literal prince … not a — pirate.”

“You’re not a pirate,” Luka reminded quietly. “Did you think Emperor Shera was trying to woo me?”

Silence.

“You were jealous, then.”

Silence.

Luka’s hand fell over hers on the helm, and she nuzzled against her side affectionately. “You’re so silly sometimes. Political alliances are formed and maintained through trust and mutual respect. Even if the emperor did want to strengthen our alliance through marital bonds, I choose to be with you. He would have to settle for my brother.”

Mercedes snorted at the unexpected idea. Glad to have broken her stoic mood, Luka cuddled just a little closer.

“You’re right. I may have been jealous,” Mercedes admitted. “Only because I know what you deserve, and it’s not a wretch like me.” She gave a low laugh. Luka frowned. She hated when she talked about herself that way, playing it off in jest. Mercedes was so much more than she gave herself credit for.

“I’m sorry for making you worry,” she said, tilting to plant a kiss atop Luka’s head. “And just so you know, I wasn’t picking a fight with anyone. Cedona’s a very lovely woman.”

“Now _ I’m _ jealous,” Luka teased. “What did you two get up to?”

“Lunch. Almost,” Mercedes clarified. “We were kicked out of the tavern after she set our table on fire.”

“She what?”

“Long story.”


	6. Amore*

Prompt: Their first time  
Summary: Mercedes x Luka. Pretty self explanatory.  
Timeline: Pre-sequel  
Rating: M (sexually explicit content)

-

Luka turned over in bed for the umpteenth time, groaning at her inability to fall asleep. It was one of those nights were her mind simply wouldn’t quiet down. It kept replaying the events of the day – over and over again until it was the only thing she could think about. Something had happened; something amazing and electrifying, and just the thought of it left her feeling wistful.

The town of Amore was experiencing a surge in monster encounters, and called upon the priestess to purify the falls there. It wasn’t difficult convincing Mercedes to oversee the voyage. She’d been itching for another adventure ever since their return from Grandshelt.

As was often the case she and Mercedes parted from the crew halfway through their rounds. They were _ supposed _ to be cleansing the waters, but they ended up becoming distracted with one another instead. How could they not? Rarely did they receive an opportunity to travel together lately, and the journey had them both feeling nostalgic.  
  
She could remember the flash of Mercedes’s smile with crystal clarity as she leaned down to kiss her. The heat of her mouth, the cool, smooth stone she’d pressed her up against – every detail of the encounter was engrained in her memory. She’d wanted it to last so much longer.

But _ Pudding _ had shown up out of nowhere, in all his oblivious glory, and their respite came to a crashing end. Mercedes had him scrubbing the men’s latrine below deck for scaring them half to death. For once, Luka didn’t feel too sorry for the youth.

On the other end of the cabin she heard the latch on the door release, and her ears perked for sound as it slid open with the tiniest creak. Mercedes slipped inside and closed the door as quietly as she could. She’d been in her office for most of the night, penning in the last few logs she’d failed to record and planning their route toward Widow’s Cape.

Luka watched her mount the Viking Axe to its post on the wall and hang her coat beside it. Her boots were next. It was all so routine, and she would usually turn away when Mercedes reached for the cords of her bustier. Tonight, she didn’t. Her eyes trailed the silvery moonlight that clung to her silhouette, envious that it could touch her while she couldn’t.

Pulling her nightgown on Mercedes padded over to her side of the bed, lifting the covers and crawling in. Luka let her settle in first before rolling onto her side, facing towards her. “Hey.”

“Luka,” Mercedes whispered back, a bit surprised. “Did I wake you?”

She shook her head, holding her pillow close. “I was up already … Couldn’t sleep.”

“I see.” Mercedes wavered, her gaze lingering before it fell to the sheets. She cleared her throat. “Listen. About earlier – I apologize if I upset you. I shouldn’t have been so forward. There’s no excuse for it really.”

Like Luka, she’d been thinking about the incident all night. The way she’d kissed Luka fiercely and backed her flush against the rockface of the waterfall. The way she’d palmed her breast and pressed her thigh between her legs. She’d gotten carried away, and she didn’t trust that she wouldn’t do it again. Hence locking herself in her office – where the odds of impulsively jumping Luka’s bones were far less probable. 

Luka took a moment to study her, then asked quietly, “Do you regret that it happened?”

Mercedes’s eyes shot back up to meet hers. “Well … No,” she admitted.

“Then what are you apologizing for?” She slid closer to the other woman, draping her arm around her neck to pet her hair. Feeling bold she leaned in, her lips ghosting over Mercedes’s as she spoke. "It felt wonderful,” she said, giving her a fleeting kiss, “So please. I want you to make me feel that way again.”

Mercedes’s breath shuddered as she kissed her, stunned when the smaller woman attempted to ease her onto her back. Luka settled halfway on top of her, pressing into her tenderly as their lips meshed together.

“You’re sure?” Mercedes managed between kisses.

Luka nodded, her breathing airy and excited. “Touch me.” She captured her lips again, much more assertively this time, and Mercedes felt her tongue slide along her bottom lip. She couldn’t help but indulge the request, opening the kiss to immediately have her slip inside her mouth. She made a soft noise in her throat, her hand falling to the nape of Luka’s neck.

Mercedes rolled on her side, effortlessly placing Luka beneath her. She withdrew from their kiss, lips moving across her jaw and toward her neck. Luka burrowed her hands in Mercedes’s hair as she began to kiss her there. She could feel her hand against her breast, softly teasing her fingertips across its peak through the thin fabric of her nightgown. Luka whimpered, the sensation sinking straight to the apex of her thighs. Mercedes’s hand then followed its path downward, sliding over her ribs and abdomen, until it confidently pressed into the affected area.

Even through her clothes Mercedes could feel her heat, and she groaned and dragged her fingers once along the woman’s pubis. Luka trembled bodily, her arms clamping tight around Mercedes’s torso. Smirking to herself the older woman kissed her pulse, lightening the pressure of her fingers as she began a lazy rhythm.

“Mercedes,” Luka whispered. She practically vibrated beneath her. Mercedes hummed, moving her kisses down to her chest. Her tongue flicked over her left nipple through the gown, before she took most of her breast into her mouth.

Luka threw back her head and clenched her jaw, trying to stifle a moan in her throat. Half successful her mouth fell open and she panted, her girlfriend’s name spilling from her lips again. In response Mercedes grazed her with her teeth, causing Luka to seize and involuntarily buck her hips. Once she started she couldn’t help herself, gyrating against her hand in small, urgent waves.

Mercedes pulled away from her breast and moved back up, kissing her affectionately and picking up the pace of her fingers. Luka attempted to match it, mewling against her lips, but the sensation was so demanding that she lost her concentration. Mercedes broke the kiss and hovered close, sharing her breath, watching her reaction as she worked her.

Luka forced her eyes open to lock with hers, and that hungry, commanding stare was enough to send her over the edge. Arching into Mercedes she came with a quiet intensity; lips parted, eyes clamped tightly shut, every muscle in her body going impossibly rigid, and then relaxing with an almost boneless fluidity.

Mercedes slowed to a stop, feeling the smaller woman quiver against her. High off Luka’s climax she rested her forehead against hers, trying to even out her breathing. She had to remind herself to be patient – Luka deserved as much. Waiting for her to recover she kissed her neck, then her jaw, then the corner of her mouth. It enticed Luka enough to tilt towards her, their lips coming together in soft, languid kisses.

It wasn’t long before Mercedes felt hands grip the fabric of her nightgown, trying to pull it up and over her head. She shifted to help the effort, her own hands hiking Luka’s gown out of the way. As soon as it was over her head the priestess ducked down, kissing the valley between her breasts as she took them into her hands. Mercedes sucked in a quiet breath through her teeth, allowing Luka the moment to touch her – even if her nerves were far too wired for games.

Luka stared at her hands as they caressed her skin, delighting in how soft she felt. She’d stolen so many glances at Mercedes over the past year that she couldn’t help but be curious. She leaned in to kiss her chest again, then enveloped her lips around a soft peak and circled her tongue around it. Mercedes arched into her slightly, a hand falling to the back of her head. The other ran along Luka’s ribs, whisking over her chest again and making her hips squirm.

She switched her attention to Mercedes’s other breast, giving it the same sweet attention, and in response the woman’s hand traveled further down her body. It slipped inside Luka’s bottoms, running along her slick folds and causing another small tremor to roll over her. Luka lowered one of her own hands to follow her example, but before she could reach the hem of Mercedes’s bottoms she pulled away. 

Luka looked up at her in confusion, only to be taken by the shoulders and laid gently on her back. Mercedes gave her a comforting smile, though still incredibly seductive, and hooked her fingers around her underwear. She dragged them down and off her legs, leaving her bare before the other woman. In turn Luka reached for Mercedes’s bottoms and impatiently helped her out of them, eager for whatever would happen next.

Leaning over her Mercedes pried her legs open with her knee, then situated herself between them and kissed her again. Luka moaned softly, pushing herself up into the warm body molded against her own. It felt wonderful. Mercedes pulled back slightly, her hand caressing Luka’s hair as she shifted her position. Her hips rolled forward, directly on top of Luka’s, and the supine woman let out another soft noise. Their eyes met, quiet and intense as they continued to move against each other.

“Good?” Mercedes husked, kissing her jaw. “Y-yes,” stammered Luka, her voice hitching in her throat. She suppressed a high note when Mercedes suddenly thrust harder, her teeth playing with the lobe of her ear. “Then let me hear you,” she whispered into it.

Sitting up she readjusted her position, slipping her forearm beneath Luka’s knee and holding it tight as she ground against her center. Luka arched, her fists gripping handfuls of bedding and pulling it taut. Breathing short and erratic, she watched the roll of Mercedes’s hips with transfixed eyes and met her thrust for thrust. A drawn out moan left her lips when the pace increased. Mercedes groaned her name in response, her brows knit and gaze euphoric, drinking in the sight before her. Just seeing Luka in the throes of passion could make her come. Determined not to before she did Mercedes closed her eyes and bit her lip. Using Luka’s leg for leverage she adopted a primal speed, rocking her hips into hers with enough force to jostle them both.

“O-Oo – Mercedes. Mercedes!”

“Luka!” She drew out the last syllable with a helpless moan, her body betraying her; coming hard and quaking with ecstasy. Luka’s voice had done her in. In spite of this she kept going, fighting her trembling limbs and pushing herself into almost sickening sensory overload until – finally – Luka cried out, shaking and riding out her own climax.

Mercedes released her leg and practically dropped on top of her, supporting her weight on her elbow. She brushed her lips and nose against Luka’s, too out of breath to commit to a full kiss. Luka in turn nuzzled her and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. Lying bare and pressed against Mercedes was decidedly her new and absolute favorite thing. She closed her eyes and smiled contently, fingers tracing along her back – unbothered by the bumps and grooves of her scars.

Mercedes tucked her face against Luka’s neck, kissing her there. “I love you,” she murmured, her voice a low rasp. “So much that it sort of terrifies me. But I’m sure you know that already, don’t you?”

“I know,” Luka replied. It wasn’t her first time hearing such a confession, though she doubted Mercedes remembered. Kissing the top of her head Luka held her tighter. “I love you too,” she whispered.

“What are we doing?” Mercedes asked. “This feels too damn good. How can I expect to function when you’re back in New Olderion?”

Luka’s smile thinned, and she exhaled quietly while looking up at the ceiling. She knew the answer wasn’t as simple as telling Mercedes to stay in the capital. And seeing as the priestess was obligated to remain there, there wasn’t much room for negotiation on that front.

“We’ll figure it out,” Luka assured. “For now, we’ll cherish what time we have.”

She felt Mercedes begin to kiss her neck again, and in response she slipped her hands down to the woman’s hips. The heavy questions could wait for tomorrow.


	7. Marry Me

Summary: Gift! One-shot written entirely by **plus_minus** :D   
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: G

-

The wind outside had picked up, bringing with it the noise of the air whipping against the building and the flags and cords hung on the flag post. Luka once again lost her focus due to the ruckus it caused, but she didn’t mind. It was a welcome distraction. The book she’d been reading had been very dull for the last fifty pages. The protagonist of the story had set off on her quest of finding her cousins, only to be sidetracked by a flock of talking birds in a cave. They spoke in an unappealing and arrogant manner, and an end to this part seemed to be nowhere in sight. Nichol, who had recommended the series, had warned her that this book and the next were a bit dry. At this rate, she wasn’t sure if she’d even make it to the next chapter before giving up completely.

Trees outside rattled and the current of the channel hit the surrounding stone aggressively as the gale continued. Luka was thankful that Mercedes wasn’t currently sailing in this treacherous weather, and wouldn’t be again until it was once again safe to set out to sea. 

“Wow,” Luka said to herself after another particularly strong gust gave her pause. A part of her wished that Mercedes would respond and carry on an interesting conversation, rescuing Luka from her reading material. But Mercedes, seated at her work desk across the room, didn’t utter a word. It was common for her to study paperwork from her merchant enterprise this intensely. 

Having failed at capturing her love’s attention, Luka figured she might have more fun passing her time with Arsha and Ellie. Maybe they’d play a card game again like they had done a few evenings ago. The young child had just learned the game recently and had enjoyed it. 

As she opened the door a quarter of the way, Mercedes finally spoke. “Um,” she said, rather hesitant. “Please, don’t leave yet.”

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I think it is. But could you come over here? I’d,” Mercedes looked down at her desk, “Like to show you something.”

“Alright then.” Once Luka sat before her, she slid her financial logs slowly across the table. It was a thick book with a dizzying amount of tables and calculations. “What exactly would you like me to look at?”

“This balance sheet. The last number here is currently the net worth of the company.”

Luka’s eyes followed where her finger was pointed. The large number that sat on the last line of the page reflected the hard work that went into maintaining a merchant operation. Luka beamed. To think that it was only a few years ago that Mercedes had started to run her business legally. Now she had accumulated all of this wealth in addition to what she’d had before. “Oh! That’s very impressive. You’ve done well for yourself and the crew. I’m so proud of you!”

“Thank you. But truth be told it’s larger than I’d like.”

“You think that? You aren’t thinking of selling part of it, are you?”

“No. My problem with these numbers is related to you.” Mercedes straightened her posture as she continued speaking. “According to the law, if I were to die tomorrow, you wouldn’t see a measly Gil’s worth of it.”

Luka knit her brows, confused. The salary that she received from the Olderion Federation was more than enough to maintain her modest standard of living. “That shouldn’t be a concern of yours. Money will never be an issue for me because of my status as a priestess. You know that.” 

“I’m aware. But still, I’d rather you have ownership than the state. In the case of my death, I’d need you to put some of the money toward the Sanctuary. That’s why,” she stated slowly, “Well, not the only reason why, but... it’s one of the many good reasons why we should marry.”

Luka’s head tipped to the side. Her jaw became slack as she struggled to form a sentence. “You— Mercedes, um, that’s—” 

“It’s a lot, I know. You’re allowed to take some time to consider your decision. I respect whatever answer you choose to give.”

“That’s not it,” she sighed. “It’s just...that was such a terrible way of asking.” They’d lightly tread toward talk of marriage before, cautiously mentioning the union of forever. Neither of them rejected the idea. But they’d never spoken of a formal engagement.

“Terrible?”

“Well, not terrible. But very businesslike. You need to ask nicer!” she huffed, indignant. Their relationship had certainly _ never _ been so money-centric as to merit such a conversation. Would it really have bothered the other woman to frame it in a more romantic way?

-

Mercedes had spent the last week reading the recent revisions to the Olderion trade laws, particularly the sections on estate handling. This section applied to her ever since she’d earned her status as a citizen of Olderion some two, three years ago. 

Unsurprisingly, nothing had changed since the last time she’d reviewed it. Being that they lacked a legal union, all of her money and assets would go directly into the government’s pockets. Luka and her crew would be left with nothing, a terrible outcome. Seeing the large increase in profit compared to six months ago, her nerves had gotten the better of her. This, of course, led to her rushed proposal.

_ You need to ask nicer. _ She had groveled a pathetic apology after Luka’s irked response. It was clear that she wanted something more charming when it came to asking for her hand in marriage. Someone as wonderful as Luka certainly _ deserved _ something more significant than a flimsy talk over financial paperwork.

It was a little awkward for the two of them after that afternoon. There were plenty of conversations that were finished prematurely and taut smiles shared between them. She wondered if she had botched things beyond a point of no return, until she hatched a plan that would certainly win her back into her lover’s best graces.

-

After the weather had cleared, Mercedes travelled for two weeks overseeing her enterprise’s operations abroad. Though she returned by morning, Luka didn’t have time to see her until early evening; she’d spent much of her own day in prayer and visiting the sick. When they reunited in their quarters before dinner, Mercedes kissed her with a quiet greeting. She then placed a thin leather-bound book into her hands, before withdrawing to the nearby couch. As they sat together, Luka noted the wordless cover as she opened the first page. The story inside was neatly handwritten in a style that she immediately recognized:

_ Once there was a girl who pursued a lawless life, _ _  
_ _ so she could support those that she cared for… _

By the end of the second paragraph Luka understood what was occuring. Mercedes had written _ their _ story, of a priestess and a pirate (later turned merchant) that fell in love with one another. And despite the fact that they faced long periods of separation because of their respective purposes in life, they kept their love going. Luka giggled at the flowery prose used to describe the beauty of the character meant to represent herself (_“the softest lips with hair the color of inner moonstone” _ ), and the humble language the author used to describe herself (_“a well-meaning idiot” _). It wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but her connection to the tale meant that it would become one of her favorites. She gently squeezed her love’s hand before continuing to read.

The story ended in an incomplete manner, with the merchant wanting to spend the rest of her life with the priestess, but never knowing how to ask. Luka noticed that she was only about halfway through the pages. Was there supposed to be more? She turned about five blank pages before she saw it: part of the book was cut to form a square-shaped compartment, just large enough to hold the ring contained inside. Written beneath was a message:

_ Lovely Priestess,  
_ _ Will you help me finish this story? _

Luka marveled at the jewelry as she placed it in her palm. While the band was gold, the ring was inlaid with blue gemstones. In these shards she saw the various shades of blue in her life; some matched her hair, others the ocean on a sunny day, and some even looked similar to the roof tiles used in the buildings of New Olderion. Mercedes must have commissioned such a thoughtful piece herself. It had to have taken much effort, or at least a fair bit of Gil, to have such a thing made in such a short amount of time.

“What do you think?”

“It’s beautiful,” Luka grinned, passing over the ring as she offered her left hand. “I didn’t know you could write so well, either.”

“Ah, it’s not too difficult when you have such a wonderful muse,” Mercedes explained. Smiling bright, she slid the ring on the priestess’ finger.

-

(A/N: I had mentioned to **plus_minus** that my headcanon of their proposal was Mercedes botching it over finances. This is entirely based on the struggles her family endured. I pictured Luka saying no, and repeatedly saying no, until Mercedes asked in a more appropriate way that satisfied her. For my birthday last year **plus_minus** surprised me with this gift fic. The latter part of it is their idea, and I thought it was incredibly cute. So we’re adding it to this drabble series, because the world needs to know how adorkable they are.)


	8. Cover Up

Prompt: Lasswell  
Summary: Mercedes and Rain have a heart-to-heart.   
Timeline: Pre Deep Blue  
Rating: G

-

“How’s that arm?”

Rain looked over his shoulder at the approaching captain, then shifted halfway to face her. He pulled at the rag coiled around his arm, revealing the otherworldly glow that hid beneath. Mercedes took a seat on the bench beside him, then nodded toward his bracer. Understanding what she meant he took it off, watching as she produced a roll of gauze from her coat. She took his forearm delicately and pulled it forward, setting out to conceal the offending limb in bandages. 

“I didn’t even think of that. Thank you,” he said. 

“I could say the same. Thank you. For not, uh — you know,” she murmured, eyes trained on her work. “Anyone else would’ve strung me from the sail after what I did.”

Rain grimaced, trying not to envision such cruel retribution. “You’re just looking after your own in the way you know how. It’d be a different story if you wanted us dead,” he said. “I have my doubts that you even wanted to fight.”

“I didn’t,” Mercedes laughed. “I thought you suckers would buy my bluff, but I guess I had you figured wrong. Your guard dog certainly didn’t take it easy on us.”

Rain tilted his head. “Guard dog?”

“Lasswell,” she replied, then gave another small laugh. “He’d probably bite my head off seein’ the two of us chatting alone like this.”

“Why would he do that?”

Mercedes’s emerald eyes lifted to his. ‘Surely you know,’ they seemed to say, though Rain merely wrinkled his brow in confusion. “What’s the story between you two?” she asked curiously.

“We’ve known each other all our lives,” he said, smirking somewhat. “We were raised together. Like brothers.”

Mercedes looked back at the bandages, pouting slightly. She suddenly felt sorry for the other knight. There was nothing familial about the way he looked at Rain, though the latter seemed to regard them as such. “Oh. From an outside perspective, I’d assumed you two were together.”

“We’re not,” he dismissed quickly. That wasn’t even the first time he’d heard such a thing. Just this week the youngest Warden sibling had thrown him an ambiguous compliment regarding his relationship with Lasswell. By the time they reached Lake Dorr he was entirely convinced the priestess thought they were an item.

Feeling him tense in her grasp, Mercedes glanced up to find his cheeks tinged pink and his eyes averted. She quirked her brow. Maybe he wasn’t as clueless as she thought. He was clearly uncomfortable, however, so she chose to divert the subject. “Just as well. You know, I always said I’d marry the man who could best me in battle,” she teased.

Rain’s hands suddenly shot up to clasp one of hers, stilling her work as he adopted a silly grin. “We can make that happen. I hear captains officiate weddings at sea.”

“You heard wrong,” Mercedes quipped, and pulled his bandages just a little tighter with a smirk. “Besides, you’re not really my type.”

He laughed, amused. “What is then?”

Mercedes pursed her lips and tied the gauze at the back of his wrist. She honestly didn’t know. In all her life, she’d been romantically attracted to a wapping total of zero individuals. If she did have a type, they certainly didn’t exist in her line of work. “It’s not important,” she said. “Not like I have any intention of anchoring myself to anyone soon.” 

Rain put his bracer on over the bandages, his brows raised. “Well if you’re still single after I save the world, you’re more than welcome to marry me.”

Mercedes snorted. “And suffer the wrath of your guard dog? I think not.”

-

(A/N: Nod to Rikodoki Mercedes proposing to Rain)


	9. Now and Then

Prompt: Smitten  
Summary: Luka receives advice from Arsha.  
Timeline: Deep Blue (CH08)  
Rating: G  
  
-

Looking up from her crochet work, Arsha peered over to the priestess seated across the room. Book limp in her grasp, she stared aimlessly into the sunny harbor outside. Her daydreams had gotten the better of her, and not for the first time either. It left the expecting mother wondering; just where did Luka’s thoughts keep carrying her off to?

“I’m fine, you know,” Arsha said, piercing the silence. “You don’t have to stay here for my sake. If anything happens with the baby I can send a scout to find you.”

Snapping out of her trance, Luka shook her head and shut her book. “No. I’d like to stay close, just in case.” Her eyes fell to the woman’s very round abdomen. She’d been experiencing mild contractions for the past two days. If she were to transition into early labor, Luka would hate herself for not being present.

Arsha sighed, though her smile was soft. “Alright, but I don’t see why you feel the need to punish yourself. This is your only time off in who knows how long. Wouldn’t you prefer to spend it elsewhere?” She paused. “Maybe even, with whoever you were thinking about just now?”

Luka stared back, looking suddenly nervous.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to pry,” Arsha amended. “It’s just that you had that silly little smile I would sometimes catch Elle wearing.”

The priestess looked at the floor, wringing her fingers in her lap. After a moment she stood, then slowly advanced toward Arsha’s seat beside the hearth. “May I?” She outstretched her hand, and with Arsha’s nod she placed her hand on her stomach. Sitting beside her chair, Luka silently waited to feel the stirrings of life beneath her palm.

“How did you know?” she asked, her voice small. “How did you know you were in love?”

“A few different ways,” Arsha said. “Just being near him made me happy. I would miss him terribly when he was away. And whenever he was close, my heart would pitter-patter so wildly.”

Luka felt that. She felt it all in a way that excited and petrified her, and she didn’t know what to do. It was so easy to accept the love she had for her brother, for Arsha, for the child she would help raise. So easy to accept the love she had for her people, for Olderion. But what she felt for Mercedes — it was something wholly different and completely out of her control. She was _ in _ it, sinking deeper with each passing day. She’d never felt like this before.

Loving Mercedes was difficult. She knew full well the complications that came with it. Today they were allies, friends — _ more_, she would even dare to entertain. Tomorrow was not so readily discernible. Luka knew her post; she was sworn to defend Olderion from any harm. Harm that Mercedes’s fleet could very well bring, should the Federation’s retainer run dry. Come the end of their journey, she was uncertain where Mercedes’s allegiance would inevitably lie.

If she stayed, they would be enemies. 

If she left …  
  
Luka’s heart constricted tightly. She didn’t even want to think about her leaving. But why would she stay? How could Luka even _ ask _ her to stay, knowing what Mercedes would have to sacrifice. Through blood and sweat and hard work they’d both carved separate paths in life. She loved Mercedes enough not to insist that she now abandon hers.

She felt it then. A small bump against her palm. Then another. It quieted her mind, letting her focus on the present.

Softly Arsha grasped Luka’s hand, guiding it to the baby’s newest kicking spot. When the priestess looked up, she found a bittersweet smile on the young mother’s face. “I must admit — it hurts. That he’s gone. That we can’t be a family,” said Arsha. She wiped at the corner of her eye. Luka instinctively reached up with her unoccupied hand and clasped hers, squeezing. “But given the choice, I’d do it all again,” she continued. “I’m glad I was able to feel that way with him. However brief, the time I shared with Elle is irreplaceable.”

Luka stared at her silently, absorbing the words. She wanted to know more, ask more, but a rapping on the front door called for her attention instead. Excusing herself, she stood and exited for the hallway. 

“Hey, you.” 

From the other side of the entryway Mercedes greeted her with a lopsided grin. Luka could already feel her heart somersaulting.

“Buying stores for the next launch. Did you finish that list of yours?”

“O-oh. Yes,” Luka stuttered. She gestured for the other woman to follow her, and they headed back toward the parlor. Mercedes and Arsha exchanged pleasantries as Luka opened one of her books. She scribbled a few last notes onto a page before ripping it out, handing it to Mercedes. The captain read it over and tried not to look too skeptical.

“You’re really going to make all this?”

Luka nodded. “I could still pick these up later. You don’t have to.”

“Stay here. I’m sure I can manage,” Mercedes insisted. She squinted at the cursive writing. “What’s this word?”

Luka huddled closer, peering at the paper. “Rutabaga.”

“That’s some kind of eggplant, right?”

“Oh dear.” Pressing her lip, the priestess looked over toward her sister-in-law. “Would it be alright if I-”

“Go,” Arsha said. At the younger woman’s wary expression she rolled her eyes and smiled. “You’ve been cooped up in here all day. Go. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Okay. I’ll come right back afterward.”

The brunette sighed, nodding. Resuming her needlework, she did her best to respect their privacy as the two conversed; Mercedes playfully accusing Luka of making up vegetables, and Luka defending herself more animatedly than usual. Arsha didn’t want to embarrass Luka, to let on that she knew exactly how she felt. As if she hadn’t known from the moment she first watched them dance at the Festival of the Water God so many months before.

She hoped, one day, Luka would find the courage to heed her advice. Not to would be nothing short of tragic.


	10. Desperate Measures

Prompt: Red  
Summary: Seaking confronts a reckless daughter.   
Timeline: Mercedes backstory | Pre-canon  
Rating: T (warning: sensitive subject matters)

-

PT I   
  
-

It was her hair that caught his eye, the copper strands shining bright beneath the street lamp she hurried past. Seaking rushed to follow. Not so long ago it had been easy to find her. He’d come to rely on her being there, inside the tavern, ready to take a pocket full of coins in exchange for her assistance. The girl was by far one of his best assets in Granados, able to deliver messages and goods without rousing the slightest suspicion from the authorities. She knew how to charm people, how to distract them, so effectively that Seaking found his business hurting in her absence.

She rounded a corner. Determined to get her attention he called out, jogging the few paces that separated them. “Lass!” He wished he knew her name. He didn’t know much about her, in all honesty; just the sob-story she used to get in his good graces. If that was even true.

When she turned around it was clear she hadn’t expected to see him. Her hand pulled tight the cloak she wore, and her sharp emerald eyes bore a hint of panic.

“Where ya been?” Seaking asked, friendly despite the offense he feigned. “I’ve got loot to sell! It’s been a pain in the arse not havin’ you around.”

The girl looked at the cobblestones and said nothing. She was uncharacteristically reclusive.

“You up for a gig? I could really use your help tonight.”

“I can’t.” 

Seaking gargled a sigh. “Suppose I push it off a day. Tomorrow then?”

“I can’t,” she repeated quitely, “I’m employed elsewhere.”

The old captain matted his brow. His gaze drifted in the direction she’d been heading. The long, desolate alleyway led to a single red door, prominently lit in the stark darkness. He knew what sort of business operated beyond it, and he felt his stomach sink. “No.”

She didn’t look up.

“You’re just a babe,” he argued, plainly upset. What was she? Sixteen? Not younger, he prayed.

“I lost everything. All of it,” said the girl. “I need the money. If I can’t make it back — ”

“Your mother, right?” Seaking took her shoulder and shook it, trying to catch her gaze. “For a smart lass you can be a goddamn ijit. Did you ever for a moment stop to think that maybe she wouldn’t  _ want _ this? If she knew — ”

“It doesn’t matter!” She shot back, shoving his hand away. Her eyes met his, glossy and fierce and something else entirely. She was suffering. “Why do you even care?” she challenged. He didn’t miss the way her proud voice broke halfway through.

“Someone’s got to,” he muttered. Taking in her features, he could understand where she was coming from. She was young, and beautiful, and clever as all hell. In a pinch of course she would think to use everything she had at her disposal. But he knew the men of these streets. They were crass, and cruel, and the lass was self-willed enough to endure whatever they threw at her — all on a fool's errand to save a woman who would likely die regardless.

“Don’t do this,” he pled simply. “It’s not worth it.”

The girl averted her eyes. She maneuvered around him slowly and continued down the decrepit alleyway. Her hand flattened across the obscenely vibrant door, and for a moment she hesitated. He wanted her to turn around. He wanted her to go home. Instead, she pushed forward and disappeared beyond the threshold.

Seaking ran a hand over his temples and released a deep exhale. He was a stranger to her. He had no right to intervene in her affairs. But he knew this was wrong.

-

The bag of coins struck his table with a sound clamor, startling the man. Seaking looked up, and immediately a cold chill crept along his spine. There the girl stood. He hadn’t seen her for a fortnight, and from her demeanor he could tell the time had not passed easily. Dark circles under her eyes, expression both withdrawn and a touch vindictive, she appeared as though she’d weathered hell itself.

“I have a job for you,” she said. It echoed the words he had offered her so many times before, reminding him of the debt he owed. “You’re going to help me steal a ship. And you’re going to sail me as far away from this place as possible.”

Seaking stared at her in silence, then nodded. There was no point in asking if she was alright. She wasn’t. The lass had a dangerous air about her, one that came with having nothing left to lose. She’d failed, and she was furious.

“I’ll do it,” he said. “S’long as you join my crew. I’m long in years. She’ll be needing a new cap’n in time.” 

He wouldn’t ask what ills she had been through. He’d leave it to the past where it belonged. All he could extend now was a fresh start, and an outlet for her grief. Time and time again the lass showed that she was tenacious enough to fill his shoes, take up his axe. She was a born leader, resourceful and loyal to a fault. He wouldn’t allow that potential to go to waste.

A pirate ship was not an ideal setting for a young, posh girl to grow. But there he could at least mentor her, care for her, and if anything else — make certain she never felt destitute enough to resort to such desperate measures again.

-

(A/N: Meta will be provided at the end of the next chapter)


	11. Serpent's Den

Prompt: Trust  
Summary: Naga prods at an old wound.  
Timeline: Mercedes backstory | Pre-canon  
Rating: T (warning: sensitive subject matters)

-

PT II  
  
-

Mercedes was uncomfortable. Understandably so; her track record with this sort of establishment didn’t exactly make it feel like home. But the ship was currently inaccessible, turned sideward on the beach for careening. She was exhausted from her share of the work. Her limbs ached, stung from the seasalt that slipped inside her scrapes. Staying at the inn was supposed to be a _ reward _ for the crew’s grueling labor. Observing the debauchery that went on inside, however, it only served to put her in an even fouler mood.

“‘scuse me, miss.” 

Mercedes glared at the warped wood of the table. “I don’t work here,” she stated bluntly.

“Even so, I’d pay rich for a dame like you,” sung the man. 

Her brow twitched. She didn’t engage. If he laid so much as a hand on her she was going to break it. She hated this place. She hated men like him.

“She ain’t interested,” came an intruding voice. Mercedes glanced up to see Naga approach. Despite her threatening tone she looked at the man with a broad, charismatic smile. “How’s about you quit messin’ with my girl — before I set these drinks down and pick up my guns, ay?”

The man lumbered away, muttering a few uncouth insults beneath his breath. Naga’s smile never faltered, and she slid a pint across the table towards Mercedes. She caught it, eying her suspiciously. “Your girl?”

“Ah I just said it to piss ‘em off,” Naga chuckled, dropping into the seat opposite her. “Lord knows he ain’t getting anywhere with _ you _ anytime soon.” She took a large swig of her ale, then nodded in her direction. “You look miserable. What’s got your bottoms all twisted?”

“This place,” Mercedes murmured. As if to accentuate her point a busty woman squealed in delight as a patron shook his face in her cleavage. Naga seemed amused by it, though her companion only shrunk in her seat.

“M’well, view’s better in my room,” Naga chirped, waggling her brow. “Got me some cuties, if you want to join us.”

Mercedes rolled her eyes, and Naga laughed. “Course you won’t, ya prude.” She crossed her legs and leaned forward amicably. “You know, I honestly don’t get it. You could have your pick of any man or woman, and you’re just sittin’ ‘ere like a grump. You don’t buy into any of that chastity bullocks, do ya?”

Mercedes didn’t respond, prompting Naga to continue. “You should throw caution to the wind and try it some time. It’s fun as all hell.”

“It’s not,” Mercedes answered, irritated.

Naga dismissed her with a laugh. “Like you would know,” she taunted. Bringing the pint to her lips, she refrained from drinking when she took in her crewmate’s body language. Mercedes had her arms folded into herself, looking positively prickly as she glowered at the table. “Or do you?”

Her eyes shot upward, lips a stern line and brows furrowed dangerously. 

Naga glanced around, placing her drink down as she adopted a hushed voice, “Were you — ”

“We’re not discussing this,” Mercedes interrupted curtly. 

“But you — ”

“_Enough_.”

The dark haired woman sighed, rubbing at the nape of her neck. After a moment she looked back up, her gaze sheepish. “It’s not all bad. It’s not supposed to be, anyway. Not like any pig who disrespects a lady would know that.” 

Mercedes looked about ready to crawl out of her skin.

“You ever been with one? A woman, that is.” She glanced up at that, eyes guarded. Naga regarded her with a surprisingly candid expression. “I could show you, y’know. Give it a chance and I’ll change your mind.”

Mercedes looked back down, pulling her arms just a little tighter. She didn’t know what to think of the proposition, only that it made her feel awkward. She heard the hollow noise of Naga’s glass hitting the table, then watched her stand in her peripheral.

“Choice is always yours, Erinys. You know where to find me love.”

The younger woman remained seated. Isolated again, her leg fidgeted and her eyes scanned the bar area. She caught another man staring and scowled. Taking up her drink she downed it in a few hearty gulps, then pushed out of her chair. She didn’t care how early it was, better to sleep than draw unwanted attention.

Mercedes traveled up the stairs toward her room for the night. She grasped the doorknob, though she hesitated to turn it. A peal of giggles had erupted from Naga’s adjoining room, distracting her. Mercedes chewed her lip. 

A few more cautious steps, and she found herself in front of that other door. She pushed it open.

Naga lay sprawled on the bed, flanked on either side by a tavern girl. The loosely clad crewmate looked surprised to see her at first, before her expression morphed into an amused sort of smirk. Mercedes turned sidelong in the doorway, piercing the other two women with a look. “Out.”

“Sorry. You heard the lady,” Naga added jovially. The girls pouted, readjusting their clothing as they passed Mercedes in the threshold. Once they were gone, she shut the door and locked it. Hand still on the knob, her eyes trained on Naga in an almost predatory fashion.

Her initial burst of impulsivity spent, she was suddenly having second thoughts. Memories she fought to sink were resurfacing in vivid clarity. After all the pain, all the humiliation, why would she even _ entertain _ the thought of being touched again?

Naga leaned up on her elbows, her brow bent in a playful quirk. “Well? You comin’ over here or what?”

Mercedes threw her coat onto a nearby armchair. Then, after a moment of deliberation, she approached with a determined gait. Crawling onto the bed she straddled the other woman, and Naga immediately pulled her forward into a bruising kiss. 

Mercedes honestly didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t even particularly like Naga. But if she spoke true — if she really could get her over this hurdle, help her forget, make her feel better — then really, what more did she have to lose? 

-

(A/N | CH10-11 Meta)  
  
While I’m open-minded about safe and ethical sex work, CH10 was neither. It was situationally forced upon Mercedes after her savings were stolen. The subject was briefly skirted around in ‘Breathing Underwater’, and explains certain post-traumatic bouts experienced by Mercedes in both stories.

I chose this narrative to create a realistic backstory for her. It was also inspired by a few canon facts. In Rikodoki (if we’re even to consider that canon) Mercedes claims that her wardrobe is a strategy to manipulate others. And her pronoun in JP (‘_Atai’_) signifies a bad-girl inflection, but was commonly used in the past inside the red light district. In addition, pre-modern era female sex workers identified their status by use of tattoos, like the one prominently displayed on an erogenous zone of Mercedes's concept art. Though there's no certainty on whether the creative developers intended this, I do find it follows a trope.  
  
Whereas FFV’s pirate captain Faris Scherwiz dressed as a man to better suit their needs, Mercedes goes the opposite route and embraces her sex appeal as just another tool at her disposal. Her bio emphasizes that she’s good-looking, and she’s cunning enough to use that to her advantage. It's not a far stretch to assume that in dire straits she would use her body to get what she needs, considering how lucrative the work is. The fact that she _could_ do this to make money and _chooses_ to be a pirate instead, should tell you how little she cares for the idea. Even if her appearance sells the idea of sex, my personal headcanon is that it’s simply a tactic learned from her experiences.

This backstory is also meant to accentuate other factors in the ‘Deep Blue’ universe. It highlights how Mercedes is the sort of person to do anything in her power to protect her loved ones, even at the cost of her own comfort and wellbeing. Mercedes is also sixteen when she joins Seaking’s crew, and Luka is sixteen when they first meet. Mercedes is instinctually inclined to safeguard Luka’s happiness and innocence, as she herself was anything but at that age. Luka represents a lot of what Mercedes threw away to survive. It’s why she feels undeserving of the priestess’s affections, and ultimately why she was able to fall for her so easily.

Again, this is a personal headcanon born from overthinking an overly-simplistic side character. You’re free to disagree and disregard it, as its importance is irrelevant to the overall plot.


	12. Cursed

Prompt: Lost  
Summary: Luka struggles with a superstition.  
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: G

-

It wasn’t fair. 

It wasn’t _ fair_.

Luka shut the washroom cabinet and puffed out her cheeks, eying her reflection in the mirror with utter frustration. She was a sensible woman. A responsible, functional human being with all her wits about her — So _ why _ did this keep happening to her?

Dropping to her knees she peered under the sink, groping blindly around the dark space. Nothing. She righted herself and pulled in a deep breath, trying to calm down. It would show up. It _ had _ to show up.

She stood, fists balled, and stormed over to the bed. She didn’t care how well-made it was, she’d ransack the sheets and flip the mattress if she had to. Grabbing the duvet, she was about to pull when a voice in the doorway startled her. 

“What’cha doin’?”

Mercedes leaned against the entryway, relaxed with her arms crossed. Luka stared at her partner uneasily, before she looked back at the covers and smoothed them flat with her palms. “J-just tidying up,” she answered.

“M’were you?” Mercedes cocked a brow. “Looked to me like you might be searching for something.”

Five years was an awfully long time not to notice certain truths about the priestess, namely one affliction that routinely plagued her. Money. Maps. Medicine. If it was given to Luka for safekeeping, then its inevitable loss was almost always assured. _ The Curse of the Water Priestess_, Luka had called it once in aggravation. Mercedes actually saw some merit to the claim, given Folka’s propensity to lose belongings at an alarmingly similar rate.

“I wasn’t looking for anything,” Luka insisted nervously. 

“Hm.” 

“W-What?”

“It’s just the funniest thing,” Mercedes lulled. “Ellie showed me a treasure she found. The most curious piece of jewelry. It looked so much like your engagement ring.”

Luka paled, watching as Mercedes uncrossed her arms and presented the item. She tilted it this way and that between her thumb and forefinger, then shrugged. “But if you’re not missing anything, I suppose I’ll have to give it back to her, mm?”

The priestess ducked her head. “You might as well,” she droned defeatedly. “I’m going to lose it again anyway.”

Mercedes smirked somewhat, crossing the distance that separated them. Luka brought her hand up, expecting her to place the ring back where it belonged. Instead, the captain circled behind her and slipped her hands beneath her veil. She felt the clasp of her collar release, then felt the warm weight of the jewelry as Mercedes laced it through. Refastening the clasp, Mercedes gently dragged the ring to Luka’s front, where it settled comfortably at the hollow of her neck.

“Now you won’t,” she said close to her ear. Pulling her hair aside she bent to kiss her neck. “Much more prominent there than under your glove anyway.”

Luka blushed, her heart giving a giddy leap. “You care that much that people see?” 

“Entirely,” Mercedes replied. She continued to pepper her with kisses, drawing her back into a possessive embrace. Luka chuckled lightly in response, leaning into her as she toyed with her fingers across her abdomen.  
  
“Just wait until you have yours,” she taunted. “I want every person you shake hands with to see it. Even when you’re out at sea. ”

“Think I’ll hide it, do you?” She turned her around in her arms, hovering close with a fond smile. “Have some faith, you silly thing. You’re not gonna lose me that easily.”


	13. Do Not Disturb*

Prompt: Dom sub or switch  
Summary: Mercedes x Luka. Kind of kink. Plot if you squint.  
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: M (sexually explicit content)

-

The door was scarcely closed before Luka was on her. Literally on her; leaping at her like some wild creature with her arms around her neck and her legs around her waist. Mercedes moaned as she felt her tongue thrust inside her mouth, her hands lowering to cup Luka’s bottom and support her weight. It never ceased to surprise her how such a demure, mild-mannered priestess could be so passionate. 

Mercedes turned, taking advantage of the tight corridor to press Luka up against the wall. She pinned her there, indulging in the soft noises she produced from sucking on her tongue. She released it with a pop, hovering close and smiling slyly. “Miss me?”

“Always,” Luka said, and plastered her mouth over hers again in earnest. Mercedes chuckled. She didn’t linger long, pulling away from Luka’s lips and toward her neck. Mouth wide and wet and hot, she sucked and bit at the flesh there until Luka audibly whimpered. She knew she’d left a mark. She knew Luka liked it, even if she would heal the damage after their session was over.

She let Luka’s legs drop back onto the floor, hands moving up to fondle her pert chest. She kissed her sternum, then down the clothed length of her torso. Mercedes sunk to her knees before her, and impatiently hiked at Luka’s skirts until they were up around her waist.

“Hold that.” 

Luka nodded. It was a simple order devoid of any real authority, but for some reason it left her tingling. She gripped the folds of fabric and immediately felt Mercedes’s warm hands slide up her thighs to grab her bottom. She used them to pull her hips forward, and her face pressed against the soft cotton of her panties.

“You smell so good,” Mercedes practically groaned.

Luka wanted to be embarrassed, but the yearning in her girlfriend’s voice only served to turn her on. Her mouth fell open as Mercedes began to kiss her there. The exchange was light at first, but the more Luka whimpered and trembled the more passionate Mercedes became. Her hands slipped in front of her again. One pulled the hem of her panties, trapping it tight against her folds. The fabric ground against her clit with every tug, and Luka moaned as Mercedes’s tongue added to the madness. Then that other hand; two digits nudged aside the confining cloth and eased themselves inside her. They gestured ‘come hither’ and she very nearly did, doubling over and losing her balance. 

Mercedes pulled away and kept Luka’s hips in place with her forearm. “Stand up straight,” she said. This time there was a hint of dominance in her voice. Its effect was obvious; Luka felt herself twitch around her fingers. The thrill seemed mutual, she thought, as she watched Mercedes release an inaudible moan at her reaction. Her emerald eyes acutely reminded Luka of her command, before she resumed her onslaught at the same pace she’d left off. The thrust of her fingers, the flick of her tongue, the coarse fabric pulled tight against her skin – there was no way she would outlast it all.

Luka sucked in a shaky breath, pressing hard into the wall behind her. Her legs were vibrating. She didn’t trust them not to give, and she was so overwhelmed she felt like crying. “Mercedes, please,” she begged. “If you – I’m going to – ”

In lieu of a verbal response Mercedes sped up her fingers. Her mouth latched onto her panty-clad mound and sucked hard, running her tongue over her clit relentlessly. That did it. With a sharp intake Luka came, though Mercedes never let up. Instead she pumped faster into her quivering channel and pulled harder at the fabric.

“W-Wait – Mercy – Mercy!”

She was seeing stars. Her legs gave out under the sensation and Mercedes pushed into her, keeping her upright. She let go of the folds of her dress and gripped Mercedes’s hair instead, her entire body trembling. She could feel another climax roaring up inside of her, more ferocious than the first. Surging her hips forward against Mercedes’s mouth she threw her head back. All she could entertain was the wave of ecstasy she was riding. It crested, and unlocked with it the sound that had trapped in her throat – a loud, helpless cry wrenching from her lips the moment she came. Smaller, weaker cries echoed it, until Mercedes slowed her movements completely and withdrew.

She looked up at Luka, her expression positively devious as she popped her fingers into her mouth. The priestess slunk down the wall and sat beside her, dazed and catching her breath. She grabbed Mercedes by the collar of her coat and pulled her closer, having every intention of kissing her senseless. 

A knock on the door stopped her. She froze as the knob jiggled. Fortunately Mercedes had the sense to lock it.

“Luka, are you alright?” It was Nichol. “I heard a scream. What are you doing in there?”

Mercedes looked like a grinning fox. She parted her lips as if to answer him, her teasing smile spreading as Luka mouthed her a dangerous, ‘Don’t you even’.

“Luka?”

“I’m fine,” she squeaked, then cleared her throat. “I’m fine. I just – thought I saw a spider.”

Mercedes shrugged. She quietly walked her fingers along Luka’s thigh, mimicking the accused creature. When she reached her panties she pulled them slowly, locking eyes with the priestess as they whisked down the length of her legs. Once they were off, she pocketed them immediately.

Slack-jawed from the audacity of it Luka shot forward, determined to reclaim the former pirate’s stolen prize. Mercedes crawled backwards into the room, fighting to silence her laughter as Luka lunged for her. They hit the floor with a thud, Luka pinning the sniggering captain by her shoulders. 

“What was that?” they heard from the door.

“Nothing,” Luka answered, biting back an undertone of exasperation. “Trying to find the spider.”

Her hand swept for Mercedes’s inner coat pocket. The copper haired woman easily knocked her other arm off balance and rolled. Pinning Luka now, she held her wrists above her head and taunted her with a raised brow. 

“Unlock the door and I can help you look,” Nichol continued.

“No thank you,” said Luka. Mercedes dipped down, biting at her neck again and pressing her weight into her. The supine woman fought with difficulty not to moan.

“Are you certain you’re alright though?”

“Fine.” A surge of strength and they flipped again. She straddled Mercedes, subjugating her more with a look than any real force. She ground against her, watching her eyes dilate in the late evening sunlight. Mercedes took hold of her hips and rolled her own, letting out a puffy breath as Luka leaned in for a kiss.

“You don’t sound fine.”

At her patience’s limit, Luka finally growled. “Nichol. Go away.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We’ll talk later, okay? Just – Go. Now.”

“O-oh. Okay. But – ” 

“_Now_.” 

“Right.” 

They listened for his footsteps to shuffle away from the door, before Luka brought her cerulean eyes back to her girlfriend’s nervously. “Was that too harsh?” 

“That was amazing,” Mercedes countered. She pulled her down and kissed her, parting with a sultry grin. “Show me more of it.” 

Luka felt her stomach stir with excitement as she kissed her again. She distractedly fumbled out of her gloves, cupping the side of Mercedes’s jaw while the other hand slid beneath the golden belt of her bottoms. She felt her heat and groaned, immediately setting her fingers at a pace that had Mercedes squirming.

However much fun it was for Mercedes to take the lead, Luka was beginning to understand her better. She was always at her most excited when Luka stole that power away from her. It might have been her dominant presence in public that conjured such subservience in private. Or maybe it was Luka’s docility that made surrendering control to her so alluring. Whatever the case may be, she didn’t mind. Fortunately for them both, it didn’t take the priestess long at all to realize that she must be wired in a similar way.


	14. Water God's Protection

Prompt: Summon  
Summary: Leviathan returns to Lapis, if only briefly.  
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: G

-

“Are you sure this is safe?”

“No.” Luka smiled sympathetically at her partner’s weary expression. “But it must be done.”

Mercedes let out a frustrated exhale, staring at the calm surface of Lake Dorr. It had been two full years since Leviathan’s departure, and the esper’s absence was making itself more and more known. Monsters were becoming a regular nuisance, breaking the peace Olderion had come to expect for over several centuries. The people were frightened, not to mention in peril. The responsibility of keeping them all safe rested on the Water Priestess’s shoulders.

“Can’t Folka do this?”

“It was her turn last.” 

“And?” The former pirate placed her hands on her hips. She really had no objection with Folka taking Luka’s place. Folka _ deserved _ to be there, as far as she saw it. Luka saw it differently.

“Either myself or Folka, it doesn’t matter who stays at the lake. What matters is that it’s no longer effective,” Luka pressed, her voice soft and calm. “My brother and I have discussed this. We agree that our best option is to summon the Water God.”

Mercedes looked back at the priestess, not bothering to hide her disapproval. She remembered Leviathan’s send-off to Paladia. It had completely drained Luka’s energy, leaving her unconscious for nearly two days. Bridging the gap between worlds didn’t seem the slightest bit safe, and Mercedes fully suspected the effort took more out of Luka than she led her to believe.

“Are you ready?”

“No,” Mercedes grumbled. The thought of Luka voluntarily hurting herself grated at her like sandpaper. But it wasn’t as though she was given a choice. If she wanted to protect Luka in the aftermath of this endeavor, she would need to bare it through with her.

Offering her one last supportive look, Luka then turned and walked toward the edge of the lake. She laced her fingers together and pressed them to her chest, closing her eyes with a deep inhale. An invisible force began to pick up around her, gentle at first, but as her silent rites commenced the gale became ever stronger. It jostled her veil and vestments wildly, shook the ground and sent ripples skittering across the water. Soon enough the energy basked her form entirely, bright cerulean, and she extended her arms out toward the heavens.

The sky split open with a booming crackle, and a bolt of lightning plummeted for the center of the lake. Waves crashed as the surface was pierced, and a deep rumble echoed out from the site, loud enough to vibrate in their chests.

Luka dropped her hands to her sides, taking large gulps of air. Her knees went soft for a moment before she snapped them straight again, staring out at the lake with a look of sharp determination.

Finally, Leviathan emerged from the depths. The esper peered out towards the two of them, and Luka smiled in turn. Then, feeling the last reserves of her strength give way, her eyes fluttered shut and she began to topple backwards.

“Luka!”

Mercedes sprinted forward with open arms, catching the priestess before she could crumple to the floor. Dropping to her knees she cradled her close, brushing the hair from her face and studying her with worried eyes.

“She will be alright.”

Alarmed by the intruding, otherworldly voice, Mercedes scanned the vicinity. They were alone — save for the large serpent that had begun to swim closer. It eyed the captain with its typical ambiguous expression, and her brows matted in confusion. “Leviathan. Did — you just-”

“Yes, child.” Though its mouth did not move, she could hear the low, androgynous voice emanate from somewhere in the back of her mind.

“I thought only the Water Priestess could converse with you,” said Mercedes. Concerned, she looked down at the unconscious woman in her arms.

“That was true for a time. My powers were stunted in this realm. In Paladia I was able to recover them. I have you, in part, to thank for that. As well as this young woman, and her brother.”

“Luka’s been worried about you. She’ll be relieved to know you’re fully healed.”

The serpent nodded, watching Mercedes shift the priestess into a more comfortable position. “She has a kind soul. Many have served me over the centuries, though few so loyally as she.”

“Loyal not only to you,” Mercedes reminded. “It extends to all of Olderion. She’s been running herself ragged trying to keep this place safe.” She opened her mouth to continue, but the words caught in her throat. The esper gave a small chuckle regardless, as if it had already pulled the thoughts from her mind before she could voice them.

“You wish to know when I’ll release her from that burden. I cannot say. Paladia still cries for my assistance, and Olderion has come to depend too readily on it.”

_ ‘You’re leaving Luka to suffer for it though,’ _ she thought, and stiffened when Leviathan lifted more fully out of the lake.

“It cannot be helped. This is the path she has chosen for herself. She will fight to defend this land, and like those who have come before her she will likely perish defending it. If that is something you cannot accept I suggest you distance yourself from her now, child.”

“I already figured,” Mercedes admitted. She ducked her head, staring down at Luka’s relaxed features. “You should know more than anyone the sort of person she is. What she deserves. I suppose the brightest lights always burn more quickly, but if I could in any measure guard against that happening …”

There was a sudden flash, and Mercedes felt warm energy hum from the water crystal around her neck. It shone brilliantly, painting Luka in its glow before it began to recede. Mercedes flattened her fingertips over the stone, wondering what had caused the outburst.

“That is my power,” spoke Leviathan. “If you seek to protect the priestess, then help fight her battles.”

“Your power?” Nervous, Mercedes shook her head. “I can’t challenge you, Leviathan. I’m not strong enough.”

“No need. You have proven your value through other trials.” The esper sunk further into the water, turning its gaze to Luka. “When she was confined to this lake, she was happiest in your company. I grant you my protection as my debt to her. Use that power to safeguard the waters. Abuse it for personal gain, and know that my vision will tear your vessel asunder.”

Mercedes swallowed a hard lump in her throat, then nodded. “Thank you. I won’t summon your vision without warrant. You have my word.”

Leviathan hovered for a few long seconds, regarding her with that same cryptic expression it always seemed to wear, before it turned away completely. “Help the water maiden recover her strength. I wish to depart by first light tomorrow.”

Mercedes watched the giant serpent slink beneath the surface of the lake. Not long after, it began to shimmer a vibrant blue. Taking Luka into her arms again, Mercedes shifted and stood. The jostle was enough to wake her slightly, and she made a quiet noise as the other woman walked them back to the campsite they’d set up prior.

“Mercedes?”

“Mm?” 

“The Water God is here?”

“Mm-hm.” 

“May I see them?”

“Let’s get you some rest first,” she answered, her voice light. “After that we’ve got a lot to discuss. Starting with a bone I have to pick with you.”

“Me? What’d I do?”

She let out an embarrassed sort of laugh. “How long were you going to let me call the Water Goddess a God?”

-

(A/N: I stand by the fact that Luka has consistently gendered Leviathan male, but canon will be canon. Also, I have tons of prompts to do still but no time to write them atm. It will pick up again after I'm done with another Pirateship project. Hang tight!)


	15. Chipped Porcelain

Prompt: Momento  
Summary: Luka ponders the mystery of Mercedes.  
Timeline: Deep Blue  
Rating: G

-

It was the little things that roused Luka’s curiosity. She wouldn’t exactly call Mercedes two-faced, but there was a clear difference in the way she carried herself publicly and privately. She would talk to her crew in a dialect so informal that sometimes Luka had trouble understanding her. But conversing alone with her, Mercedes’s speech would almost fluidly mimic her own. Her vocabulary would broaden. She’d slip into a respectable pronoun. Luka had a distinct suspicion that she wasn’t attempting to impress the priestess with this change, rather — Mercedes was consciously hiding a cultured upbringing from her subordinates.

She saw it in the flourish of her handwriting. The books that lined her cabin shelves. The measured tempo of her steps as she taught her to dance. But above all else, it was a trivial possession that ultimately cemented her impression of Mercedes; a small, porcelain teacup that sat upon her desk. When filled, Luka would watch her handle it with all the delicacy and reverence expected of high society. She seemed wholly oblivious to the habit, as though it were so embedded in her that it had become second nature. Even when barking orders in that strange informal tongue of hers, she would still be holding a saucer neatly under her tea. It had made Luka laugh once, though she wouldn’t answer why.

There was a chip missing from the rim of that teacup. A jagged dip, an imperfection that, however minute, rendered the porcelain valueless. Once elegant. Still elegant, though clearly flawed. The more she came to know Mercedes, the more Luka found herself wondering just how much that teacup shared in common with its owner.

-

(A/N: I’ve always loved how Mercedes’s informal dialogue contradicts her bio. It’s either brilliant writing or the writer simply forgot. For sanity’s sake let’s call it the former.)


	16. Baby Talk

Prompt: Curious  
Summary: Ellie’s silly questions launch a discussion between Mercedes and Luka.  
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: G

-

“What are these?” 

Mercedes straightened her back slightly. Seated at the edge of the hot spring, she could feel small hands run the length of her spine, tracing along the marks that marred it.

“Ellie, mind your manners,” Arsha scolded softly from the other side of the spring. 

Mercedes shook her head with a smile, peering over her shoulder at the ever-inquisitive four-year-old. “They’re scars.”

“Why do you have them?” 

“Because I was naughty,” she answered simply. She twisted and picked the towel-clad girl up, sitting her on her lap.

“Do they hurt?”

“Not anymore.”

Ellie squinted her bright blue eyes at her, and Mercedes almost wanted to laugh. “You have more questions?”

“Why do you look so different?” she asked, with all the frankness of a child. 

“Ellie,” her mother warned again.

Mercedes humored her with a smirk. “I’m from a different part of the world,” she explained.

“Do all people there look like you?”

“Some do. I look like my parents.” Mercedes wavered, stopping there. Her parents were of two separate ethnicities. She didn’t exactly know how to convey that without confusing the girl. Ellie seemed to venture down that train of thought regardless, as she peered out at Luka in the water with matted brows. 

“When you and Auntie have a baby who will they look like?”

Mercedes parted her lips, though nothing came out. She didn’t even know where to start with that one.

“Most likely, like Aunt Mercy,” she heard Luka answer. “Or different from us entirely. It depends.”

Mercedes locked eyes with her fiancée, now as bemused as Ellie. They’d never explicitly discussed that subject before. They both doted on Ellie enough to know that they would like a family some day, but Luka’s response told her that she’d put more thought into the matter than Mercedes had realized. 

“Like me?” she reiterated, the subtext evident in her voice.

Luka nodded. “If you’re okay with that.”

Mercedes shrugged awkwardly. “I mean, I guess I’m okay with it if you are.” She wasn’t exactly thrilled about what that would entail, though she wasn’t opposed to it either. She was more surprised that Luka had written herself out of that narrative entirely. “But — we’re talking a ways away, right?”

“Oh.” The priestess looked at the water. 

“Oh?”

“I was thinking sooner,” she murmured timidly.

Mercedes pursed her lip. “How much sooner?”

“Like … After the wedding?”

“_Nnnooo _ no no no,” Mercedes dismissed. Her enterprise was less than three years old. She was nowhere near ready to take a backseat and raise a child. She was barely in Olderion half the time as it was.

“Then when?” Luka asked.

Hearing the vague disappointment in her voice, Mercedes yielded with a sigh. “I don’t know. Five years or so? Maybe?” She hoped that would be enough to appease her, though Luka’s expression said otherwise. Before she could express that vocally, however, Ellie was wiggling excitedly in Mercedes’s lap.

“I can count to five!” 

The copper haired woman laughed and directed her attention to the girl. “Impressive. But what about ten?”

As she listened to Ellie rattle off the numbers, she looked out at Luka and gave her a sympathetic smile. It was a silent reassurance that they would continue their conversation later.

-

Bidding Arsha and her daughter goodnight, they headed for their room. Alone for the first time since the bathhouse, Luka wasted no time in revisiting the subject.

“I’m sorry I sprung that on you so suddenly. I shouldn't have.”

Mercedes shook her head and took a seat on the bed. “That’s fine. It’s just — I’m curious. I would think, with your lineage and traditions, that you would want to have the child yourself. You do, don’t you?”

Luka stared at the floor. Slowly making her way over, she sat beside Mercedes. “I am — torn,” came her inevitable response. “Olderion has come to rely on my family for protection. We are expected to devote ourselves entirely to our duty. That responsibility falls on myself now, and Folka. In time, it will pass to Ellie, and what children myself or Nichol may have.”

Silent for a moment, her gaze remained elsewhere. “I must admit, with the Water God’s disappearance, it has become far more difficult to ensure Olderion’s safety. My post, at times, does not allow me to live freely. If I had a child, I would be denying them the opportunity to choose their own path in life. Even if I encouraged it, the Federation would likely pressure them into their service.”

Taking a deep breath, her hand fell over her partner’s. “Look at my family, Mercedes. How small it is. So many of us have sacrificed our lives to defend Olderion. It’s very likely that one day I will be called upon to do the same. Should I fall, I do not wish for a child of my own to then take my place. Not when I know how painful it would be for them, and for you.”

Mercedes cupped the side of her face and tilted it toward her. She searched her eyes, her thumb running along the softness of her cheek. “You really have thought this through.”

Luka nodded. “It guilts me. I feel selfish for not providing an heir to defend Olderion, and selfish if I deprive that heir of their freewill. There is no winning either way.” She took Mercedes’s hand from her cheek and placed it between her own, staring at it as she continued. “If my partner is capable of bearing a child of their own, I would much prefer to raise that child — and not have to bother with the complications of my own lineage. Only if that’s something you’re comfortable with, however.”

Mercedes couldn’t argue with her logic. It made perfect sense. She only had one additional matter to clarify. “Why me though?” She asked. “Why not adopt?”

At that Luka blushed. “We could, of course. It’s just that ... when you’re at sea, I tend to miss you so dearly. I think it would be wonderful to have a child in your likeness, to keep close to me while you’re gone. That’s all.”

Mercedes felt her heart flutter in her chest, touched by the confession. After hearing it all laid out she knew she couldn’t deny Luka. She trusted her judgement, and if this was what Luka wanted then she would submit to it without complaint. “Okay.” Leaning closer, she kissed her forehead. “I don’t mind having the baby. In five years' time.”

“Four?” Luka attempted her best puppy-eyed expression, and Mercedes rolled her eyes and smirked. 

“Ask me in four.”


	17. Homesick

Summary: Mercy’s not the only one missing Luka.   
Timeline: Pre-sequel  
Rating: T

-

_ scratch - scratch - scratch _

Mercedes wrinkled her nose. Eyes closed, she pretended she hadn’t heard the noise. 

_ scratch - scratch - scratch _

_ scratch - scratch - scratch - scratch - scratch _

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” she grumbled. Throwing her covers aside she stood, padding over to the cabin door and pulling it open. The frigid winds of Mysidia greeted her on the other end, and she shivered immediately as the chill rolled over her skin. She hated the cold - which also meant she hated the attention-starved creature that forced her from her warm blankets.

“Knock it off,” she growled, glaring down at the furry mass at her feet. The ship cat paid her little mind. Instead, it quickly weaved around her legs and trotted inside the cabin. Mercedes frowned groggily and locked the door, watching as the cat searched her belongings. When it couldn’t find what it was looking for, it perched itself against the windowsill and stared at her expectantly.

“She’s not here. Satisfied?” Walking over to the bed she rolled in, yawning. “This is exactly why you don’t spoil a ship cat. She’s ruined you.” A few months prior she’d be lucky to even catch a glimpse of the tabby. It was a reclusive beast. The crew would leave food out for it, and as payment it would hunt the stowaway vermin that threatened their ropes and cargo. That was the unspoken contract they’d agreed upon. Until Luka showed up.

Over the course of their journey she’d managed to win the cat’s affection. Mercedes didn’t know how she did it exactly — likely with soft words and patience and table scraps. It hadn’t been an issue in the beginning. But soon the cat became more fond of Luka’s cuddles than prowling the ship.

Once she’d settled into her covers, the tabby walked along the ledge on the wall until it reached the low shelves of her headboard. She shifted onto her back, looking up into its golden eyes.

“You thought you would scurry in here and she’d be there to pet your head and give you kisses.” She pursed her lips, reaching up to scratch the cat under its chin. “Can’t say I blame you.” When she withdrew her hand the cat followed, leaping onto the empty side of the bed. It rubbed against her shoulder, and with a reluctant sigh she ran her fingers along its head.

“Look what she’s done to you. To us. I could be in the warm tropics, making a fortune off the prizes around Ruffian. Instead I’m ferrying crates of alcryst for a fraction of the price. And freezing my arse off in the process, I might add. All in the name of an honest day’s work.”

She scoffed, staring at the ceiling. “And now that she’s gone I’ve resorted to talking to a cat. I should be embarrassed.”

It had only been two weeks since Luka’s return to the capital. Two weeks, and she was already feeling this lonely. She honestly didn’t know whether it would get better or worse from here. Luka had been the light of her ship. Everyone was feeling her absence, and it manifested itself in a general lack of morale. To think a rough-and-tumble band of pirates could feel homesick.

The tabby purred, stretching out to nuzzle against her side. “Don’t make a habit of this,” she warned, though she continued to stroke the contented creature behind its ears. “We’ll be back in Olderion soon enough. Then I’m handing you off to Luka, and finding me a ship cat that actually wants to do its job.”


	18. Fair Warning

Summary: Nichol is reluctant to accept Luka’s newest comrade.  
Timeline: Deep Blue (CH02)  
Rating: G

-

The scent of roasted herbs and sizzling butter plumed into the air as Luka opened the oven door. She inhaled deep, having missed the appetizing aroma of one of her family’s favorite recipes. With a dish rag she pulled the pan out carefully and set it on the stovetop, checking the progress of the simmering greens beside it. Everything was coming together nicely.

There were footsteps in the hallway, and when Nichol found his way into the kitchen again she greeted him with a smile. “Just in time. Is Arsha in the dining room?”

“I’m afraid not,” he said. “Arsha declined. She’s already eaten at her parents’ tonight.”

“Oh.” Luka turned back to her cooking, looking mildly disappointed.

“We could always save a portion for her tomorrow,” Nichol offered optimistically.

She shook her head. “It never reheats as well. At that point I would rather start from scratch … Still, it’s a shame to waste a fresh dish.” A pause, before she cast a glance toward the window. “Mercedes is patrolling nearby. Perhaps I could invite her?”

The tactician frowned. “I would prefer that you didn’t,” he answered. “You can bring her some after supper, of course. I simply don’t feel comfortable with her in our home.”

Luka craned her neck to look at him, her brows furrowed. “What a mean thing to say.”

“Not mean. Just —” Thus far he’d held his tongue, as he promised Mercedes he would. This was his sister, however. It would be dangerous to leave her in ignorance. “Luka, about Mercedes …” He tried to find the right words, before posing them in a question. “What did she tell you of how we met?”

“She said she sailed you and the others to Widow’s Cape. And that you put her ship in harm’s way confronting Veritas of the Waters in the north sea.”

“All true. Though it’s not the entire story.” He didn’t want to upset Luka, but it had to be said. He settled for prepping the dinnerware to avoid her gaze. “Mercedes may seem approachable, but she follows her own agenda. As soon as she had us trapped on her ship, she demanded our belongings and threatened to maroon us. She seemed confident. I’m certain it wasn’t her first offense.”

“... So she’s a pirate.”

Nichol’s eyes drifted back to his sister, expecting to find her expression drawn in disapproval. Instead, it only held curiosity.

“In simple terms, yes.” 

“_Huh_.” Moving to the cutting board, she began to slice a crisp loaf of bread.

“That’s all you have to say?” he asked. Her utter lack of concern was befuddling.

“A heartless person would not have warned you in advance,” Luka said simply. “On top of which, the Water God trusted me to her charge. That’s telling enough of her character - however wayward her profession.”

“Even so. You’re still an elite in her eyes. You shouldn’t let your guard down,” he cautioned.

“I won’t. Though I won’t treat her any differently with this knowledge either.” She untied her apron and set it aside, smiling. “Which is why you’re going to set the table, please, while I go out and try to find her.”


	19. Sweet Luka*

Prompt: Sweet Luka  
Summary: The perks and quirks of dating an MP battery. Mercedes x Luka, pwp.   
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: M (sexually explicit content)

-

If someone had told her that death would come in the form of a petite, kind-spirited angel amongst men, Mercedes would have cackled in their face. She certainly wouldn’t have believed them after meeting said woman in the flesh. How readily she’d invited her into her heart, then into her bed. She’d stoked the flames of her confidence, encouraged her to be unabashed and unashamed in their endeavors, and where did such bold enthusiasm leave her now?

Mercedes was going to die.

She was going to die in a puddle of her own drool, emptyheaded, writhing as this sweet, lovely harbinger of doom rode her very soul into oblivion. 

And she was okay with that.

A shudder rolled over Luka from atop her. She was whimpering through another climax, hips undulating ever so slowly, then picking up speed again in small microbursts of energy. On to the next one already. Mercedes pressed her head back against the pillow, uttering a string of useless vowels as her senses went haywire. She’d given up counting how many times she’d come. She was so sensitive that they all seemed to run together anyway, leaving her mind an absolute haze of delirium. Luka’s movement was the only thing still managing to tether her to reality.

Hips jerking, back arching, Luka came again like clockwork. Descending from her high she panted and ran her hands along Mercedes’s sides lovingly. “How are you holding up?”

The other woman made an indiscernible noise, her eyes hidden beneath her forearm.

“Are you alright?”

“I can’t — even think,” muttered Mercedes. “You just keep going. What are you trying to do to me?”

Luka let out a small, self-conscious laugh. Sprawling out on top of her she pecked her lips. “You’re going to be gone for a while. I thought I would get it all out of my system before you leave.”

“I _ can’t _ leave at this rate. By the time you’re through with me I’ll be a simpleton.” She sucked in a quiet breath as Luka cupped her breasts, her tongue rolling over her nipple.

“Do you want to stop?” she asked, then gently brought her teeth into play.

Mercedes shivered and licked her lip. “Do _ you_?”

“Maybe one more?”

Mercedes peered out from under her forearm, her expression doubtful. Luka responded with a sheepish smile, then giggled as the supine woman rolled her onto her back. She kissed her soundly, her fingers gliding between the two of them to tease at the priestess’s core. 

“One more,” she insisted, and kissed a path down her body. “I’ll make it so damn good you can’t even _ ask _ for another.”

Luka’s giggles subsided with a breathy moan as she felt Mercedes’s tongue against her, her fingers slipping up inside of her. She bit her lip and relished the fact that Mercedes meant her words, that she would build her up and leave her begging until it was nothing short of sweet torture.


	20. Worthy to Wield PT I

Prompt: Viking Axe  
Summary: Seaking lays out ground rules for his apprentice.  
Timeline: Mercedes backstory | Pre-canon  
Rating: G

-

“How we lookin’, Wyvern?”

“No sign of chase,” the lookout called down. “We’re in the clear.”  
  
“Good.”

They’d left the deckmaster and his attendants bound, blindfolded and gagged in a rope shed on the quay. A passerby would inevitably discover them and sound the alarm. Sparing lives amidst a heist was always a gamble, but one that Seaking was willing to make. A dead man was a hefty price for stolen goods. Sensible folks could understand that much. It was the prideful ones you had to watch out for.

Turning from the mast, his gaze fell upon the young woman at the steps of the quarterdeck. Mercedes was staring out at the black sea with tired, hollow eyes. They’d successfully commandeered the ship. They were sailing for safer waters. Now with the distractions behind them, he could only imagine what grim thoughts were rattling around inside her mind.

“We’re headed for Kolobos,” he said, coming up beside her. “We’ll get our stores there. See how rich the waters are.”

She nodded mutely.

“I’ll warn ya this ain’t no pleasure cruise, lass. Bein’ a pirate’s hard, and it’s dangerous. If you’re not up for it, we’ll find ya someplace safe to start over.”

“I want to stay with the ship,” she stated, voice dry of emotion.

He nodded with a shrug. “Fair enough. But I’ll tell ya right off, you’re scrawny as 'ell.” Her stare finally left the ocean, piercing him deep. It seemed he’d struck a nerve. At least it got the blood flowing in her again. “If ya want to pull your weight on this crew, you’ll need the muscle. Another stone’s worth at minimum. Can’t promise extra rations neither, so that’ll be on you.”

To emphasize his point, Seaking shifted and held out the massive axe that had been perched on his shoulder. “Give it a lift.”

Facing the old captain, Mercedes took the weapon with a confident grasp. She held it poised at arm’s length, a good thirty seconds, until her muscles began to strain and shake. Before she could let it drop Seaking took it back with a single hand.

“You can get away with a sharp wit and a pretty face, but a true cap’n puts in the work and leads by example. This axe is a symbol. A right to rule. You ain’t fit to order ‘round a crew unless ya can wield it with ease. Understand?”

She nodded again.

“Sandbags ought to get you acclimated to the weight. Then we’ll sees about gettin’ you a weapon … You ever man a ship before?”

“No, sir. Though I was schooled in maritime trade extensively.” 

“Just as well. You’ll learn fast.” He paused, then wagged his finger with an afterthought. “Best not be throwin’ those fancy words aroun’ though. Shows your class.”

Aboutfacing, he pointed toward the two deckside cabins. “Door on the left is the cap’n’s quarters. I’ll be takin’ that. Right door’s an office. There’s a hammock set up in ‘ere for ya. Least until the crew warms up to ya. Now get some rest. I want you with me on the forenoon watch. Listen for the eight bells.”

With another bow of her head, Mercedes made for the office. Once the door was closed, he mounted the steps to reconvene with Rukh at the helm. The latter regarded him with a doubtful expression, too jaded to entertain the captain’s silly ideas. “Why bother? She won’t last a week.”

Seaking merely shook his head, a worn smile tugging at his lips as he read the stars. “Just give ‘er a chance. I think she’ll surprise you.”

-

(A/N: Written in blatant defiance of concept art Mercedes’s toothpick legs.) 


	21. Worthy to Wield PT II

Prompt: Steel Castle Melfikya  
Summary: Dwarves take the Viking Axe hostage.  
Timeline: Deep Blue (CH07)  
Rating: G

-

“What do you mean _ you don’t have it? _” Mercedes grabbed the dwarf by the horns of his helmet, thwarting any effort to escape. “I paid you in advance, you little thieves. You think you can just take my axe without a fight?”

“The boss has it!” yelped the dwarf in panic, “He said the weapon is a relic, lali! That it never shoulda been treated so poorly, lali!”

The pirate let him go, sighing with frustration. She shattered the axe, yes, but she had no other option. Would the dwarves have preferred if the moogle eater chomped her in half instead?

“Surely we can reason with him,” Luka insisted. “Until now Mercedes has shown nothing but reverence for her weapon. You shouldn’t fault her for using it to defend her life.”

“If ye want yer weapon back, then prove ye deserve it.” The dwarf pointed toward a cavernous tunnel cut out from the mountain rock. “There be a castle deep inside the forge, lali. Slay the monsters guarding the path, and we’ll reward ye with great power.”

Mercedes narrowed her eyes. “Sounds less like a trial and more like you barnacles are exploiting us for free labor.”

“Ungrateful woman, lali! Keep it up and I’ll have yer axe melted down, lali!”

She rolled her eyes and advanced closer to Luka. “I should’ve gone to that blacksmith in Gronoa,” she muttered, more to herself than her companion.

The priestess offered a mildly sympathetic smile, then turned toward the entrance of the mine. “Shall we?”

“Shouldn't we get the crew?”

“I’m sure we can manage on our own,” she answered amiably. “It should be a nice challenge, to see whether the two of us make a good team.” Luka looked back at her, a sparkle of confidence in her eyes. She had such a comforting way of facing certain peril.

“Just you and me, huh?” Mercedes smirked, catching the way Luka’s cheeks tinged pink before she turned away. Emboldened by it, she unsheathed the cutlass at her side and strode ahead into the darkness. “Alright. Let’s give these monsters hell and get my weapon back.”


	22. Coin Toss

Prompt: Moral dilemma   
Summary: Mercedes finds a purse.  
Timeline: Post-sequel   
Rating: G

-

There it was — plopped straight in the middle of the bridge, as though waiting for an opportunistic pedestrian or fortunate ne'er-do-well to happen upon it. Pastel blue with delicate lining, the purse was easy to recognize.

Mercedes frowned down at it, internally running through several courses of action. Walking past it was decidedly the easiest approach. She also had half a mind to ‘accidentally’ kick it into the canal, though fought against that urge. What purpose would it serve, other than to pacify a personal grudge?

Bending over, she plucked the purse up and popped open its clasp. She’d almost expected it to be full of shiny pebbles and tiny seashells. That’s what Luka tended to collect, anyway. This wallet, however, was purely functional; nothing inside but the glitter of gold.

Only a fool would walk around with this much money. Twice the fool to lose it so easily. It was enough to purchase fresh canvas for her sails. Enough to commission a new dress for Luka. To buy Ellie several toys, or an entire week’s worth of groceries for the sanctuary. All the good she could do with this gil …

“Hey.”

A young girl looked up from her sidewalk coloring, curious as Mercedes approached.

“Lady Folka is over by the city square. Be a dear and run this to her, will you?”

Mercedes watched her eyes light up, thrilled to be of service to the much-admired priestess. At least someone was. She handed the purse to the girl, who guarded it protectively against her as she hurried off. There. It was out of her control. Folka would have her wallet returned, none the wiser that Mercedes had done her any kindness. She preferred it that way.

Even so.

Mercedes rolled three gold coins in her palm before she pocketed them.

She never claimed to be a saint. And she had no qualms about spending her self-imposed finders fee on Luka, Ellie and Arsha. 


	23. Dear Brother

Prompt: Elle  
Summary: Luka blesses Ellie’s amulet at the Water Shrine.  
Timeline: Deep Blue (CH08-09)  
Rating: G

(A/N: ‘A New Life’ is the only conscious divergence from canon I’ve made in this series. It’s not gone entirely, more chronologically rewritten. In ‘Deep Blue’, Luka is present for Ellie’s birth (because I can’t fathom why she _ wouldn’t _be in canon). Nichol has already left for Paladia, so Luka is the one to bring the amulet to the Water Shrine and announce the birth. That trip is mentioned in the beginning of CH09, and further elaborated upon in this chapter.

I will entertain that Nichol ‘freed’ Luka from the lake, or at least planted the idea in Leviathan’s mind before leaving for Paladia. In the ‘Ruins of the Water God’ trial Luka is still at the lake regardless. Let’s assume she was waiting for Mercedes to return from the Realm of the Dragon King, so that she could send off Leviathan and ask Mercedes for her help.

Arsha throwing Nichol from her home doesn’t occur until much later, when he returns with Folka in person at the end of Season Two. In lieu of Luka’s alarmingly quiet response to Nichol’s forgiveness in canon, in the Deep Blue universe this triggers the beginning of the sequel fic.

Canon glaringly contradicts itself numerous times between ‘A New Life’ and ‘Ruins of the Water God’. I ultimately chose the ‘Ruins of the Water God’ narrative because this is a story about Luka, not Nichol. I’m also not very fond of the ‘easy fix’ narrative his short story established. It’s a change I consider small, but favorable to Luka’s character.)

-

She could tell the camp had settled in for the night. The quiet chattering of the crew had faded over the hours. Only the cascade of fountains could be heard echoing across the shrine’s architecture. Even the collected footsteps of an ever-vigilant captain had ceased with time. It was in this solitude that Luka finally felt comfortable enough to attempt the unprecedented.

Reaching for her belt, she withdrew an item from a hidden pocket and held it toward the moonlight. It glittered between her thumb and forefinger; a crystal, translucent with a faint blue hue. Arsha had given it to her. She claimed Rain was able to produce a vision of Elle through it. As he could not make the pilgrimage to the Water Shrine himself, Arsha requested that Luka bring this crystal along with her when announcing Ellie’s birth.

In New Olderion, Luka had been too afraid to try — too afraid to disappoint or upset her sister-in-law. Here she felt bold enough. This was the home of her ancestors, after all, and the power inherited from the original Water Priestess still flowed within her veins.

Closing her eyes, Luka focused her energy on the crystal. She didn’t know how to do this. She’d never asked. If only summons were as simple as wishes, there would be enough yearning in her heart to set the stone aglow. _ ‘Please_,’ she prayed. ‘_I want to see you_.’

A faint light. Then a familiar tap against her forehead.

Luka let out a shaky laugh, a mix of relief and heartache. She opened her eyes to find an apparition crouched before where she knelt, regarding her with that cocky, laidback grin he always wore. He rested on his haunches to remain at eye level, his spear resting comfortably at the crook of his shoulder.

“When you look at me like that, I have a hard time reconciling that you’re simply a memory.” The priestess smiled warmly, if not sad. “You came to me at the lake to say goodbye. I thought it was a dream. The Water God told me you had passed, as did Arsha, and our brother. Yet there was a part of me that still believed I was dreaming.”

She brought the crystal to her lap, cradling it between her palms. Elle’s form would flicker with her lapses in concentration. It was late. She was tired and exhausted from fighting all day, and her low energy showed itself in his translucence. The vision must have noticed, as it did little to ask more from her.

“I remember when we were younger. How hard father would push you and Nichol. I remember what he told you both one night, when he thought I was asleep.” She looked down at the shattered shards of the Water Crystal. “He said it was your responsibility to protect the Water Priestess. That it would be my life on the line if you weren’t strong enough. You were trying your hardest ever since, even after I asked you not to.”

Recalling the incident, she bowed her head. “Sometimes I wonder, if I’d been more courageous — more persistent and honest, perhaps you would still be here.”

Luka felt a gentle weight lift her chin, and looked into her brother’s eyes as he held her gaze and shook his head. This wasn’t her fault. Seeing the sincerity in his expression, she could feel herself well up. “I miss you every day,” she said. “Your laughter filling the house. Your pranks. I can only hope that your daughter inherits that same playful spirit.”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. When they opened again, her gaze was tender. “She’s beautiful. I’ll show you, once we’re back home.” She watched his eyes fall to the pendant strung around her neck; an intricately carved amulet that he’d picked out himself for his daughter. “Arsha asked that I bless this stone … She also requested our help in naming the child. Nichol and I discussed it before his journey. We all agreed it would be best to name her after you.”

Luka took in his expression; both happy and disheartened, like he wanted nothing more than to be there. “I’ll love Ellie as my own,” she told him. “I’ll help Arsha raise her, and teach her everything I know. So long as I am the Water Priestess, I will stand between her and what dangers she may come to face. I’ll protect her with my life.”

Elle smiled warily, reminding her that he worried just as much for her safety as his daughter’s. “Fret not,” she insisted. “I’m not alone. There are allies by my side fighting to keep Olderion safe … If the fates are in our favor, I hope to be in their company for a very long time.”

Her brother nodded in understanding. She didn’t miss the way his form wavered. Her energy was waning, she knew they didn’t have much time left. Resigning her last measure of strength to the task at hand, she put her full concentration into the crystal and leaned forward. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and she felt a hum of energy enfold her as he did the same. She was mindful not to squeeze like she wanted to. She knew she’d pass right through.

“I love you,” she said, clenching the crystal tight in her fist. “I’ll share with you everything, every step of the way. I promise.” Luka felt the energy constrict around her briefly, before the glow and pressure gradually began to dissipate. He was gone before she knew it, and the chamber felt dark and lonesome in his absence.

Luka took a few moments to herself, dabbing at the corners of her eyes and collecting her composure. She stood and placed the crystal in her pocket, then began the slow walk down the corridor back to camp. Mercedes was resting upright beside the door, and she roused at the sound of footsteps entering the room. There were no words, only a silent exchange of expressions.

‘_Are you alright? _’ her emerald eyes seemed to ask.

The priestess merely offered a muted smile. Settling down beside the captain, she tucked her head against her shoulder and shut her eyes for the night.


	24. Why You Gotta Be So-

Prompt: Rude  
Summary: Mercedes and Nichol square off.  
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: T

-

Mercedes was surprised to see him there, sitting quietly on the loveseat. The room had been empty when she left to collect the night’s firewood.

“Hey, specs,” she taunted playfully. Kneeling beside the hearth she stacked the lumber in its designated basket. “I didn’t know you’d be back so soon. When’d you get in?”

When there was no response she turned to look at Nichol, wondering if she’d imagined him. Sure enough he was still there; solid, tangible, and leering down at the paperwork in his hands. “You okay over there?” she inquired again.

His gaze narrowed to small slivers, giving her the clear impression that he didn’t want to be bothered.

“Alright.” Clapping the dirt from her hands, the captain then stood and sauntered for the door. “Pleasure as always,” she lulled dismissively. The comment, it would seem, snapped the last tethers of the man’s self restraint.

“You didn’t even ask me,” he grated. The tone was laced with enough disdain to stop her in her tracks. She stood frozen in the threshold, practically feeling the burn of his eyes on the back of her head. “You proposed to Luka and you didn’t even ask.”

‘_Let it go_,’ her mind told her. Nichol was irrationally emotional, and she knew she shouldn’t play into whatever had spurred this. She knew, and yet she couldn’t help herself.

“Why in the _ world _ would I need to ask you?” She rounded to face the man. In response Nichol stood, his paperwork falling carelessly to the floor.

“I am her guardian. I raised her. Would you be so insolent as to not ask her father?”

“You’re _ not _ her father,” Mercedes shot back in irritation. “Beyond that Luka is a grown woman; plenty capable of making her own decisions with or without your blessing.”

She watched his shoulders go rigid and his nostrils flare. She thought he might burst at any moment. Instead he merely clenched his jaw, collected his belongings, then took off down the hallway. “Fine. Do as you like,” came his cold response.

Ready to confine himself to his quarters alone, he was alarmed when Mercedes pushed her way through the door and slammed it behind her. Nichol took in the shallow rise and fall of her chest, the intensity of her stare. Just like him, she was fighting to keep her anger in check.

“I get that we’ve never really seen eye to eye. But if you have a problem with me marrying Luka then say it to my face. Tell me I’m not good enough.”

He recognized that he made a mistake. He felt it in his bones, in how much it hurt to see the pain Mercedes failed to conceal. She felt she didn’t deserve Luka, and his unsavory behavior served nothing more than to cement that impression in her mind. She wasn’t his enemy. He knew she would love and protect his sister, which she had demonstrated at length over the years. As that was all he could ask for in a suitor, Nichol had no choice but to admit that he was upset for ulterior reasons. It was wrong of him to sight Mercedes in his crosshairs, when the matter was completely and utterly out of her control.

“It’s not that,” Nichol answered. Taking off his glasses he rubbed at his temples. “I’d rather not discuss it.”

“Well tough shit.” With her arms crossed Mercedes leaned against the door. “We both know how upset Luka would be if she heard us arguing about this. So until it’s in the open and squared away, we’re not leaving this room.”

Pinching his brow, Nichol sat at his desk chair. There was a measure of silence, before he spoke in a collected voice. “To clearly envision the future ... To see the plan unfurl with time — it’s an imperative skillset for a strategist.” He hunkered into himself, his eyes trained on the floorboards. “My younger self, sitting at this desk five years ago, could not have predicted anything of our current lives. The world is spinning so quickly. Nothing quite brings it to a halt like seeing a ring on your baby sister’s finger.”

The metronome of his grandfather clock filled the space for a few long seconds. When she had nothing to say, Nichol bowed his head further and continued. “I wasn’t expecting it. I suppose it rattled me more than it should have. For that I apologize …”

“I’m beginning to realize — that the longer I remain in Aldore, the more estranged I feel in Olderion. To think how much Ellie has grown, and how little time I’ve spent with her. To think that Luka is getting married …” he paused, then brought a hand up to wipe at his eyes. “Forgive me for being emotional. My anger was misdirected … Leaving was my decision. I cannot expect her to put her life on hold, so that I may still feel a part of it.”

He heard the slow click of Mercedes’s heels advance toward him, then a creak from the desktop as she sat beside him. “Luka and I put ourselves in danger nearly every day,” she said calmly. “That’s why I asked for her hand; to protect her, should anything happen to me. Take it from someone who’s experienced financial ruin firsthand. This is the best means of ensuring she receives my assets, and it gives me peace of mind.”

“That is perfectly understandable,” Nichol agreed quietly.

She peered over at the top of his head. He dabbed at his lashes again, then unfolded his glasses to wear. Placing her palms on the desk beside her Mercedes nudged him with her thigh. “So, I have your blessing?” She asked meekly. “You can still object, of course. Just know that I’ll marry her anyway.”

The tactician gave a faint laugh, then nodded his head. “You have it on one condition.” Turning towards her, he flashed a sad but genuine smile. “Please don’t have the wedding ceremony without me.”

Mercedes smirked somewhat. Looking away she patted his shoulder. “Like Luka would even let me,” she answered. “On a related note — You think you could talk her out of some of these grandiose wedding ideas? If she gets me in one of those silly dresses I’ll never hear the end of it from the crew.”

Chuckling once more, Nichol reached up to return the friendly shoulder pat. “I’m afraid not even I could help you with that.”


	25. Listen to the Boss*

Prompt: Office / Quickie   
Summary: She won’t tolerate another late shift. Luka x Mercedes, pwp.   
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: M (sexually explicit content)

-

Pulling back from the ledger she breathed a heavy sigh. Her eyes were beginning to strain. Her back hurt. Tossing the quill into its well Mercedes’s gaze drifted toward the clock on the wall. Half passed nine. She felt guilty. She should have at least sent Pudding off with a message that she would be home late. Again.

Shaking herself out of her lethargy she resumed her penwork. If she focused she would be finished within the hour. Hopefully then her partner would still be awake, and mercifully tolerant of her tardiness.

In spite of her attentiveness, she was only able to catalogue four more lines of inventory before she heard the heavy creak of the warehouse door below. Through the large windowpane of her office she could see Luka’s silhouette backlit in the moonlight. It disappeared as the door shut behind her, and footsteps soon echoed across the spacious dark interior.

They advanced up the stairwell to her level, until Luka was standing at the open office door. Mercedes wasn’t entirely surprised to find her already in civilian clothing. _ She _ was already off for the night, and looked none too thrilled about the captain still at work.

“Forgive me?” she batted her lashes dramatically, and for once it was Luka who rolled her eyes.

“Encouraging you to purchase this warehouse was a mistake. I think I preferred when you worked from Nichol’s study.”

“A budding business needs room to grow,” Mercedes reminded, twiddling her quill. “It also needs time to manage its books.”

“I had other plans for you tonight,” Luka murmured, and gave the nearby globe a twirl. “When will you be done?” 

“It’s hard to say. A half hour? Hour, max.” With a brief smile she turned back to the ledger. “Bear with me through this last sheet and I’m all yours. Alright?”

The priestess took a measured breath, then slowly strode over to the desk. Her arms enfolded Mercedes from behind, and she nuzzled the side of her head with hers. “No.”

“No?” Mercedes laughed distractedly.

“Do it in the morning. You’re mine now.” She kissed her neck for emphasis.

“I’ll be done before you know it.”

“I don’t care.”

Mercedes closed her eyes as her kisses found the junction of her ear and neck. Something about Luka’s assertiveness never failed to numb her mind into wonderfully incoherent static.

She licked suddenly dry lips as Luka ran her hands along the soft brown leather of her corset, then used them to encourage her to stand. Once Mercedes obliged the request, Luka pushed her work stool aside and moved closer. Her palm first landed at the small of her back. It increased in pressure as it traveled up the length of her spine, urging her forward, until the captain was curved over the desktop and resting on her elbows.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

Mercedes shuddered as Luka’s teeth toyed with the shell of her ear, her weight pressing into her from behind. She was rolling her hips against her perfect bottom in a manner so provocative that it left her mouth watering.

“About how gorgeous you are when you’re excited. When you blush.”

Her hands snaked in front of Mercedes to cup her breasts, kneading them softly as she hummed against her ear, “I want to see it.” One of those hands dipped down, slipping inside her leggings to run across her folds.

Mercedes felt Luka’s other hand collect her mane of hair into a tight fist, using it to gently tilt her head and expose more of her neck. When she bit down on the sensitive skin there Mercedes groaned her appreciation, rolling her hips back against the priestess and her decidedly slippery fingers. She registered only briefly that she smudged the ink on the page she’d been working on, and pushed the ledger off to a far corner of the desk to be forgotten.

“Turn around.”

With a lightheaded nod Mercedes twisted and leaned back against the desk. Her enthusiasm showed itself in her hampered breathing, in the delicate rouge of her cheeks. Still with a comfortable grip on her hair Luka tugged her closer. The two middle digits of her other hand were poised at her entrance, just hinting at slipping inside. Her cerulean eyes sparked mischievously with the question of whether they should.

Mercedes answered ardently with a kiss, her hand clasping Luka’s wrist and urging it forward. A pleased chuckle emanated from the smaller woman. She pumped her fingers inside of her, and Mercedes was already lost to the sensation as her palm ground firmly against her.

She rolled her hips into Luka’s hand mindlessly, breaking their kiss only when she felt herself begin to tighten around her fingers. Luka took the opportunity to tilt her back by her hair. She mouthed the vulnerable skin of her throat, speeding up her fingers, and just like that Mercedes was trembling through her climax with an ecstatic moan.

Luka released her tresses to pet them affectionately. She pulled back to savor the flushed, docile expression on her partner’s face, before she withdrew her fingers and brought them to Mercedes’s lips for cleaning. She obeyed readily, her tongue caressing her digits with an almost diligent reverence. Once finished, Luka pulled them from her mouth and kissed her tenderly.

“Love you,” the captain offered as they parted.

Luka smiled and pecked her lips again. “Love you too.” Then, reaching forward, she quickly confiscated the ledger on the desk and sauntered with confidence towards the door. “Now convince me to give this back to you. At home.”


	26. Helpless

Prompt: Nightmare  
Summary: Some things are better left unspoken.   
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: T

-

Luka bolted upright in bed. Her pulse was thudding painfully in her throat, throbbing in her ears. Her lungs burned for air as she blinked back tears, body still quaking with a feeling of helplessness that left her sick to her stomach.

She turned immediately to the warm form at her side, taking in Mercedes’s peacefully sleeping features. Luka caressed her hair with a quivering intake. She tried to force the horrific imagery from her mind. It was okay. It was a nightmare, a terrifying figment of her imagination.

Yet as she bowed her head, a faint glow caught her eye in the darkness. A dull, golden light emanated from the pendant of Mercedes’s collar, deep within the crystal. She brought her hand to it curiously, and watched as it grew brighter beneath her fingertips. Realization dawned like thunder in her veins and she retracted her hand. It wasn’t a dream. What she saw was … 

Mercedes made a small sound. Her eyes squinted open briefly to look at Luka. “Everything alright?”

She didn’t answer at first. She gazed at her instead with sorrowful, guilty eyes. What she witnessed was burned into her mind, seared there like a hot brand. She wasn’t supposed to see that. She wasn't supposed to know. Without knowing what she had done, she’d breached Mercedes’s privacy.

Luka struggled to reach a decision, whether to tell her or not. She settled for shifting closer, folding her arms around her and tucking her face against her neck. “I had a dream you were suffering,” was all she could manage. She held her tighter. She wanted to block it out. The blood-spattered cobblestones. The agonized screams. The _ laughs _ … 

“I’m fine, aren’t I?” Mercedes answered tiredly.

In response, Luka slipped her hands beneath her neck and unfastened her collar. She stretched to place it on her nightstand, well out of reach. At her partner’s confused expression she turned sheepish eyes away. “I couldn’t get comfortable. You don’t mind, do you?”

Mercedes shook her head with a yawn and invited her back into her embrace. Luka nuzzled into her once more, listening to the calm rhythm of her heartbeat. She didn’t want to fall asleep near the crystal again. If she couldn’t protect Mercedes in the realm of her memories, then she would do what she could to avoid them completely.


	27. The Inn

Summary: “Even in Olderion, a country considered to be fairly prosperous, there exist poor areas.”  
Timeline: Deep Blue  
Rating: T (warning: sensitive subject matters)

-

_ ‘Oh dear. Here we go again.’ _

Luka took an anxious look around the tavern, wondering if it wasn’t too late to accept the invitation a kindly old couple had extended just minutes prior. She’d told them she was rooming at the Inn instead, and was taken off guard by their weary insistence that she reconsider. Now she understood why.

At her right; the crew packed tightly into benches and tables, intermixed with tipsy old drunkards. At her left; a large party of rowdy, shouting, shoving delinquents. She wished she’d brought her civilian clothing. She wasn’t prepared to come across a place like this, right in the heart of Olderion.

She took a few steps towards the crew, only half paying attention to a nearby conversation as her eyes scanned the tables for Mercedes.

“Five’s a new record ain’t it?”

“What’s she even gonna _ do _ with five?” 

“I can think of a few things. To be a fly on that wall.” 

“Careful, mate. She’ll hack your bits off, she hears you talkin’ like that.”

“Whatever. I just hope she ain’t pissin’ away our pay.”

“Doubtful. Rukh counts every gil of expedition funds. He’d have the capn’s hide if she was blowin’ it all on prostitutes.”

Behind the pair, Luka immediately flushed three shades of red. What were they talking about? She was supposed to be sharing a room with Mercedes tonight.

She wanted to leave, to walk back to that elderly couple’s home and pretend she hadn’t heard anything. But her eyes caught Mercedes emerging from one of the doors upstairs, and she stayed locked in place as she descended the staircase.

“Hey, you.” Mercedes smirked as a greeting, then nodded toward the bar. “Give me a hand with this will you?”

Luka followed like a duckling, if not a confused and slightly panicked one. She was instructed to hold a pitcher of water in one hand and a basket of bread in the other. Mercedes then collected several glasses from the barkeep and another pitcher of ale. She nodded towards the stairs again. “Off we go.”

Luka’s cheeks burned hotter as they walked passed the crew. She felt their eyes on her. She heard the snickering.

_ ‘Wait, wait, wait-’ _

“Wait,” she finally managed to get out. She planted herself between Mercedes and the stairwell. Preferring clarity on the matter at hand, her words lacked their usual discretion. “Did you hire prostitutes?”

Mercedes blinked once, surprised to hear the upfront question. “Yes I did,” she answered.

“And they’re in our room?”

“Yes they are,” she lilted again. “And you’re keeping them waiting, so let’s hurry up.”

“Y-you want me to — M-Mercedes, I—”

“Just what do you think is happening up there?” The older woman quipped, arching her brow. Luka flushed madly, and before she could get a word in Mercedes was sauntering around her. “Come on now. Up.”

They ascended to the room in silence, Luka’s heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t have a problem with the tavern women. She really didn’t. But she didn’t want to embarrass herself either. Her escapades into the sensual were — uh. Shallow, at best.

“My hands are full. Open the door?”

Luka nodded uncomfortably. She shifted the basket to her forearm and grabbed the handle, though she hesitated with a glance at Mercedes. “I don’t want to see anything untoward.”

“Guess I’ll have to close my coat then.”

Though unsatisfied with the mocking response, Luka opened the door anyway. She held it for Mercedes to slip through, then paused before doing the same. She stood frozen for a moment. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but this wasn’t it. Five ordinary village women were seated either on the bed or on chairs. It looked as though they’d been having a lighthearted conversation until she entered. Now their eyes were on her, and their smiles were beginning to fade.

“Those vestments,” one of the women said.

“Are you a Water Priestess?”

Luka nodded mutely.

“I’ve never seen one in person.” 

“There’s _ only _ one. And it’s you, isn’t it? You’re Lady Luka.”

“I am,” she confirmed reluctantly. The moment she did, all five of the women bowed deeply.

“It’s an honor to meet you. We’re so far inland, Wardens seldom visit our neck of the woods.”

“We’re sorry to inconvenience you. We’ll leave you in peace immediately, M’Lady.”

They moved to stand and Luka stepped forward, shaking her head, “No. Please. Stay here.”

“She’s right,” Mercedes insisted. She set the pitcher and glasses down, then sunk into a nearby armchair. “Those thugs downstairs made my skin crawl. Not locals, I hope.”

“No. Bandits were seen roaming the forest recently. I’ll bet it’s a group of them passing through.”

Luka frowned somewhat. She wondered if the claim was true, or if the crew had only been mistaken for bandits during their rounds.

“My boys are keeping an eye on them,” Mercedes said. “Unless they try something, there’s no sense in kicking them out. They’ll only take it out on the Inn once we’re gone.”

“Which is why we’re so grateful,” one of the women said, smiling at Mercedes. “I was afraid before you showed up. I didn’t want to be down there.”

“To think Lady Luka purchased our hours to protect us. Such kindness I’ll never forget.”

Luka set down the water and bread, her stare baring into Mercedes. The latter merely closed her eyes and waved the comment off impassively.

“If you were afraid, then why not go home?” she asked the women meekly.

“This is home, for half of us,” one of the women answered. “There’s no work in this village. We used the forest to travel to neighboring towns, but it’s too dangerous with the monsters now. Working here is all we can do to support ourselves.”

At the look of distress on the priestess’s face, one of them offered a soft laugh. “It’s not so bad, M’Lady. Like any job it has its ups and downs.” 

“Beats breaking your back on the farm at least.”

“Some of us really like what we do too.”

“And for those of you who don’t?” Mercedes’s gaze lingered on the woman farthest away. Luka realized she hadn’t contributed to the conversation at all. She simply sat with her hands in her lap and her eyes downcast. When a silence hung in the air, the captain uncrossed her legs and leaned forward.

“What if I offered you someplace to stay? Where there are others, like you, who would support and look after you. You would earn your keep by helping each other, and nothing more.”

“I would have to decline that offer,” the woman replied. She looked up and smiled with sad, resigned eyes. “Everything I’ve known is here. My loved ones and neighbors are here. I will not forsake them to preserve my own happiness.”

Luka stood silent, her mind drifting back to Ruffian. How many people arrived there on the promise Mercedes had just made? How many did she take from Olderion, knowing she could provide for them better than the Federation could? All those kind women at the sanctuary —

Olderion prided itself on being a prosperous nation. She grew up being told this, toured with the soldiers knowing this. Only in Mercedes’s company could she see the breadth of everything she’d overlooked. Outside of the cities, her people were suffering. 

“We’ll purify the woods and dispose of the monsters,” Luka assured. “Within a week you should have some semblance of the life you knew before. And if the monsters ever return, please summon for me again.”

Luka stared at Mercedes as the women thanked her. The captain was leaned back again in the armchair, watching her with a composed expression. Her eyes betrayed her opinions, curious and skeptical. They both knew purifying the forest was a bandaid approach. Mercedes likely wondered if the Federation would follow through afterward.

They would.

She was the Water Priestess. She would use her seat in power to ensure the council provided aid to these neglected villages. She wouldn’t stop there, either. She’d learn to see with Mercedes’s eyes; to find the people who required assistance, and offer them sanctuary.

Ruffian was a safe haven for the downtrodden, but it was also home to many dangerous criminals. She imagined, with enough pressure on the council, she might be able to win their support. She could make Mercedes’s vision a reality. Once their journey was over, Luka resolved to do everything in her power to erect a proper shelter in Olderion, and welcome all who needed it. 


	28. Not Interested

Prompt: Charlotte  
Summary: Luka and Mercedes attempt to play match-maker.  
Timeline: Pre-sequel  
Rating: G

(A/N: This is a followup to my comic [Special](https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/81590674), which takes place after the story event _ A World United_.)

-

Charlotte willed herself to stand still, rather than bolt from the square like she wanted to. She didn’t have time for these frivolities, and she wasn’t much of a social creature by nature. Yet she’d somehow been coerced into a night on the town by two surprisingly persistent Olderion women. _ Coerced, _perhaps, wasn’t the right word. It was simply impossible to say no to the bright-eyed priestess without feeling terrible about it.

She’d agreed to meet the two of them for dinner, and was told to ‘wear something comfortable’. Trouble was, she never felt comfortable outside of her armor. Without her shield she felt vulnerable — exposed in an already uncomfortable situation. The sooner they could get this over with, the better.

“There you are.”

She turned her head at the merry chirp of a voice. Luka greeted her with a smile. She was wearing a button down summer dress that looked recently purchased. Mercedes trailed a few paces behind her, out of her leathers and in a peasant blouse with leggings instead. She kept walking as Luka looped her arm with Charlotte’s and ushered her to follow.

“Are you ready?”

“Ready for what, exactly?” the knight asked warily. “Where are you taking me?”

“On a date,” answered Mercedes in front of them. She gestured toward the entrance of a local watering hole. Charlotte went rigid, her feet pulling her forward only at the whim of the priestess leading her. They found a vacant table in the outside bar area, and were scarcely seated before the Grandshelt woman blurted her concerns.

“L-listen. I don’t know what sort of relationship the two of you have, but with all due respect I’m not very interested in becoming a part of it.”

Mercedes quirked her brow, and Luka waved her hands reassuringly. “She was only teasing. We’re really here to - … well, it’s a little hard to explain but-”

“We’re here to teach you how to flirt,” Mercedes deadpanned, and watched Charlotte’s face turn bright red. 

“W-why?”

“On account of what you said last night,” she explained, leaning her elbows on the table, “It had me wondering; is your crush really that clueless, or are you being too subtle?” She was careful not to namedrop. She didn’t know who could be listening in, and she didn’t want to upset Charlotte. “If you know how to flirt, it may advance your odds.”

Luka nodded. “Even if it doesn’t, it’s a good skill to have regardless. Just in case — you know.” She stopped short of finishing her train of thought, catching the look Mercedes gave her.

She’d filled her in regarding their conversation in her office. Luka thought it was absolutely tragic, for such a nice woman to pine over a man who was already spoken for. 

_'By whom?' _Mercedes thought to ask.

_'By Rain, of course!’ _

Amused by whatever flight of fancy had taken hold of Luka, Mercedes hadn’t bothered to correct her. To satiate her itch for entertainment, she’d encouraged Luka to keep that part a close and well-guarded secret.

“Do you need a drink before we begin?” Mercedes asked.

“No. No more alcohol. I felt horrible all morning,” Charlotte chided, crossing her arms. “I didn’t actually agree to this yet either.”

“What’s the harm in trying?” she insisted. “There has to be _ someone _ here you find attractive.”

Charlotte sighed, humoring the pirate with a look around. After a few long seconds she shook her head. “No one.”

Mercedes pursed her lips. “What’s your type then?”

Charlotte stared at the table awkwardly. She’d only ever caught feelings for one person. As such, he had to be her frame of reference. “Someone I can take seriously,” she said. “Disciplined. Reserved, yet still warm and approachable.”

Mercedes rested her chin in her palm, wearing her best poker face. Was Charlotte even aware that she’d described herself? Given the partner she’d naturally gravitated toward, she was more a proponent of the opposites-attract philosophy. The thought of two Charlottes dating was about as enthralling as a stale slice of bread.

Luka in the meantime thumbed her lip and took in the people around them. “I suppose we might not find someone like that in a place like this … Where would _ you _ normally be at this hour?”

“Patrolling, if it was my shift,” the knight answered. “Or home to bed. There’s little sense in being awake. I train in the early morning.”

“In that case, I wouldn’t encourage you to approach anyone you’re not interested in,” Luka said, before her eyes trailed to Mercedes. “Perhaps you could give her some pointers by example?”

The older woman shrugged indifferently, then slipped out of her seat to order a drink. They watched as she purposely saddled up beside a young man, within arm’s length, and leaned forward against the bar. Noticing her, he turned halfway and struck up a conversation. Everything about Mercedes’s body language was relaxed and inviting, her expression neutral with a hint of intrigue.

Charlotte cast a nervous glance over at the priestess. “You’re okay with her doing that?”

“I’m not too worried about it,” Luka said, smiling to herself. Mercedes liked to flirt. She’d known that about her from day one. Remembering the vulnerable words Mercedes had shared with her the night prior, however, that irksome habit now seemed wholeheartedly harmless.

“She’s trying to teach you to be discreet, to get them to chase. But sometimes, it calls for you to be bold and act. Getting turned down can hurt less than letting your moment pass you by.”

She wondered were she and Mercedes would be, had she not given chase and seized their moment in Carbuncle’s forest. Would she be pining as Charlotte was now? How many precious, invaluable moments would they have missed out on?

“If you want something, you need to make your move,” she said. Her eyes were filled with a conviction that left Charlotte speechless, conceding little doubt about who pursued who in their relationship.

Mercedes returned to the table with a smile, along with a tall icy glass she set before Luka. “Strawberry iced tea. Courtesy of the gentleman over there.” Seating herself, she turned her attention back to Charlotte. “It’s that easy. Just make yourself available to the experience and they’re putty in your hands.”

Easy enough to say from the woman who radiated sex appeal. Charlotte wasn’t like Mercedes. She didn’t care for the thought of acting like anyone other than herself to win Lasswell’s affection, and flirting most certainly wasn’t in her vernacular. 

“Mercedes.”

“Mm?”

Leaning across the table, Luka cupped Mercedes’s jaw and pulled her close to deliver a chaste kiss. Charlotte blushed in awkward surprise, but the exchange was over before she could really think to turn away.

“I’m sorry, your new friend was staring.”

Mercedes’s lips tugged in a smirk. “You should at least pay for the poor man’s drink if you’re going to shatter the illusion like that.”

“Money well spent,” Luka sang, and stood with a look toward Charlotte. “Are you certain you don’t want anything?”

She wanted … what these two had. So badly it ached. 

“No, I uh — … Water. If you’re going up there. Please.”

Charlotte looked down at the table again, balling her fists tight in her lap. She was miserable with her feelings, and why? Because she was too cowardly to admit them. Because she was too modest to act on them. It was time to stop pushing them off. She didn’t want to reach a point where she was finally ready to confess, only to have it be too late. She couldn’t afford to miss her moment.

“When he returns, I’ll tell him how I feel,” she resolved aloud. “Even if nothing comes of it. I just want him to know. At least then I can say I tried.”

“That a’girl,” Mercedes commended. It was a direct approach, but then again — Charlotte was a direct woman. Perhaps it was for the best. At any rate it would save her from acting outside of her comfort zone, or at worst embarrassing herself.

Charlotte was a strong and remarkable individual. Mercedes hoped she would inevitably find the love she deserved, even if her gut impression told her that would involve a fair bit of heartbreak along the way. 

-

(A/N: I wrote this fully knowing Charlotte already missed her moment and yes I’m ugly-crying over it. I want nothing but good things for her.)


	29. Two Ships at Sea

Prompt: Close Encounter  
Summary: A storm-summoning beast terrorizes ships off the Tokkle coast.   
Timeline: Pre Deep Blue  
Rating: G

-

“Hold those ropes!”

Mercedes shot troubled eyes out to the angry swell of the sea. The storm had kicked up far too quickly. It wasn’t natural. Something was amiss.

“Captain! There’s something in the water!”

Pushing drenched bangs aside she staggered toward the starboard side of the ship. She gripped the rail and peered over, just as a peal of thunder crackled overhead. Lightning set the waves aglow, giving form to the creature that lurked within the depths.

Dread washed over her at the sight. The beast was enormous. A ship sinker. If it chose to fight she knew they’d stand little chance. The spines of the creature’s back breached the surface of the water as it circled them, and an otherworldly rumble contended with the roar of the ocean.

“Stand ready for attack!” she ordered, and tried her best to mask the fear in her voice. They couldn’t win this — but shouldn’t they at least put up a fight?

A pulse of crystalline blue energy raced through the waters. For a moment Mercedes thought the creature had caused it, but when its movements stalled she began to doubt that assumption. Another pulse. It came from the west.

Craning her neck, her gaze fell upon a second ship hugging the shore a distance away. A third pulse of energy radiated out from it, picking up momentum as it rippled across the sea. As the energy rolled over the creature, it unleashed a guttural growl and slithered off toward the source.

“Those fools.” Mercedes watched the beast swim away, the occasional winglike fin lifting to the surface as it went. She felt compelled to intervene. They wouldn’t be able to see her flags over the swell of the tides, or hear her bell amidst the storm’s howling. The only way they could possibly aid the other ship would be to follow the beast, and that was undoubtedly a suicide mission.

“Shit,” she growled beneath her breath. This — couldn’t be helped. She had to look out for her crewmates. The other ship provoked the creature, after all. They probably knew what they were getting into.

Abandoning the rail, Mercedes grabbed a lever of the capstan and helped the crew push. “Turn her around, Rukh!” she called to the helm. “Get us out of the storm!”

Her eyes darted back to the other ship as the beast closed in. Guilt crept inside of her again, but she cast it aside to focus on her work. Saving her men had to be the only thing on her mind right now.

-

From the bow Luka lowered her arms as she felt Leviathan’s aura encroaching. She was able to draw its attention away from the other ship. Good.

“Lady Luka, the last longboat is ready to depart,” said a nearby soldier.

“Then please leave,” she answered, “Get as far inland as you possibly can, then return to the aquapolis to warn the Wardens.”

“M’Lady we won’t leave without you.” 

“Do as I say,” she ordered softly. “The Water God has taken leave of his senses. I cannot correct this and protect you all at the same time. Please understand, and go.”

“But you …” The soldier stalled at the composed yet authoritative look she pierced him with. Given her sweet disposition, he knew the expression meant she was gravely serious. He took a few steps back, then bowed. “W-we’ll send for reinforcements. Please be careful, Lady Luka. Do not let us regret leaving you here.”

The soldier hurried for the longboat casting off, and the priestess turned her attention back to the ocean. Gripping the rail of the bow, she let one more purification spell pulse through the waves.

Leviathan sprung from the depths with a loud, angry roar. It hovered before her, snarling with fierce, burning amber eyes. A gaping wound at its neck oozed with viscous black fluid. The droplets sizzled and foamed as they fell into the sea.

Luka frowned at the suffering creature. “O Water God. Who has done this to you?”

Raising her arms she began to ready a spell, but winced as the esper let out another deafening shriek. The wind picked up around them. Clouds formed funnels, plunging into the waters below and tossing the vessel violently.

Luka struggled to keep her balance, holding the rail tight while her other hand extended toward the creature. “Please allow me to help you. I beg of thee.” Leviathan screeched as her prayer shrouded its body. The esper thrashed to escape it, and in a fit of retaliatory rage struck out for the ship.

The massive serpent’s tail crashed into the deck, splintering the wood and shattering support beams. The impact sent the two halves of the vessel rearing out of the water, and Luka yelped as she lost her foothold. Shielding herself from debris, she slid down the capsizing deck and was swallowed by the ship.


	30. -INTERMISSION-

**A/N:** I can’t believe I wrote thirty chapters of this already. I love this ship … way too much.

From here I’d like to issue a warning; we’re heading for the future. The plot will continue to stray further from canon as these two age. There will be chapters concerning marriage, family, and all the other complications of life in between. These will still be intermixed with chapters further back in their past.

As everything from this point on could go up in smoke depending on the canon writing, we’ll consider it all wishful thinking. That is, of course, all the Pirateship presently is.

I’m moving house this month so the fic will be on a temporary hiatus while I focus on that. If you’re enjoying this fic please let me know. Otherwise I’ll just keep writing these for my own self-indulgence until I get bored XD Okay, bye. 

  
  



	31. Runaway Bride

Prompt: Wedding Day  
Summary: With only minutes before the ceremony, Mercedes is missing in action.  
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: G

-

“Eugine.”

Good  _ God _ did that lad have a creepy way of sneaking up on you. Seaking turned to the tactician, hiding his apprehension beneath a thin veneer of placidity.

“Did you find her?”

“Ar — Not yet, m’boy,” the old captain offered. “She’ll turn up, don’t you worry.”

“The service is about to start. She should already be in place.” Nichol let out a frustrated exhale. “There’s only so long I can stall Luka before she becomes suspicious. Perhaps I should look for her.”

“Won’t be necessary. She’s our girl, we’ll find her. Just give us a moment, alright?” Seaking glanced down the hallway as Merrow entered the corredor. He urged him forward with a hand gesture. “There, ya see? Got eyes on her now.” Patting the younger man’s shoulder he headed off after the other crewman.

“How is she?”

“Not good,” Merrow said quietly. “Anet’s talking her through a panic attack.”

Seaking frowned. It’d been a while since she’d had one of those. They were much more common when she was younger, when trauma and adversity where still fresh wounds to her ego. She suffered when she felt out of control. Even if this occasion was cause for great celebration, the uncertainty of it all had settled under her skin regardless.

Merrow led him away from the populated reception area to a veranda in the back. It was a shallow balcony which overlooked the aqueducts, steeped in the shadow of the massive building. Hail and Pudding were in the adjoining hallway, and they kept a respectable distance from the pair outside.

Anet had his arm wrapped around Mercedes’s shoulders, and as they approached Seaking could hear him murmuring encouraging words to her. The squeak of the glass door’s hinges alerted them both to their new company.

When they turned around, it took a moment for Seaking to find his words; to even register that this was his scrappy, unapologetic, fearless apprentice. This meek, afraid-looking woman, in a pale ivory gown with teensy flowers in her hair. She looked beautiful, if not petrified.

“There you are,” he laughed, masking his surprise. “Ceremony can’t start without’cha, ya know.”

“I know,” she said, staring at the floor. There was still a noticeable rise and fall to the bodice of her dress. She’d gotten her hyperventilation under control, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Turning his focus to Anet, Seaking gave him a warm but dismissive look. The deckhand left the balcony to rejoin his husband in the hall.

“So what’s the hold up?” he asked in a calm voice.

Mercedes laughed weakly, her fists balling at her sides. “Weddings are — ridiculous,” she griped. “Marrying a public figure, they just expected me to be okay with this. All those people watching. All those people thinking she …” Her grip clenched tighter.

She’d earned ample respect in the community, but they were both aware of the prejudices whispered behind her back. She was a foreigner. A new-money commoner suspected of social climbing. Rumors of a pardon. Rumors of a bankrupt legacy in a port city half across the world.

No matter how they smiled, or how much good she did for Olderion, there would always be a voice in the back of her mind that said it wasn’t enough. They would never separate her from her past offences, and they would always mourn for a partner better suited for their priestess.

“I’ve known you now for ten years, Seaking,” she said, bowing her head. “So tell me honestly; if she could see the person that I was back then, would she still want to marry me?”

The old captain gave a sad sort of smile. Moving closer, he took her shoulders into his hands and gave them a firm squeeze. “I think she knows  _ exactly _ who she’s marrying. And I think it’s about time you started seein’ yourself the way she does.”

Her gaze never left the stonework, prompting Seaking to continue. 

“The good, the bad, the ugly — it all serves a purpose, lass. Those things you might feel ashamed of led you here, and there ain’t no coincidence in a person like you findin’ a person like her. It’s fate if I e’er saw it. You mark my words, the two of you are gonna go on to do great things together. I’d bet my life on it.”

Her emerald orbs peeked up at him for that, and a faint blush decorated her cheeks.

“So take a deep breath n’ hold your head high. This is where you’re supposed to be.”

She nodded and did as he instructed, closing her eyes and holding a breath deep in her chest. Seaking gave her another minute to collect her bearings, before he gently took her arm in his and gestured toward the hall. “Let’s not keep Luka waiting, alright?”

Moving slow, Seaking escorted her back inside and toward the reception hall. The others followed, and the closer they came to the commotion the tighter Mercedes gripped his arm. He couldn’t blame her. Just the thought of his own small part, of ushering her down that center aisle, had his nerves jumping and his pulse racing. He could only imagine how she must have felt.

To think this was where they would be a decade following their first encounter. There was no mistaking it, he was humbled. Taking a chance on Mercedes back then had shaped out to be one of the proudest decisions of his life.

-

(A/N: I’m not much a fan of wedding culture. Use your imagination for the rest I guess)


	32. Merewif

Prompt: Treasure-hunting  
Summary: Luka takes Mercedes on a new sort of adventure.  
Timeline: Deep Blue  
Rating: G

-

“Do you trust me?”

It was an odd sort of question to answer, as Luka took her hands and stepped backwards into the shallow waves offshore. Mercedes felt the cool water creep across her legs as the priestess led her deeper. She stared long at her face, taking in the sincerity in her eyes. This was really Luka, not some tricky merfolk in disguise. Question was, what in the world was she thinking? 

“There’s something I want to show you,” she insisted with a smile. “You need to come with me, down to the seabed.” 

“I can’t hold my breath that far down,” Mercedes protested, and Luka’s tugging met soft resistance.

“Do you _ trust _ me?” she asked again. Her gaze locked with hers, bestowing so much conviction that it almost made Mercedes feel childish for her concerns.

“I-I do but — ”

The water reached her chest. Every sailor had a healthy fear of drowning.

“Just relax and stay close to me,” Luka assured, and with that she submerged beneath the waves. The other woman hesitated only briefly, before she took a large breath and followed suit. 

Opening her eyes, she found that the ocean’s current wasn’t affecting her the way that it should have. Despite the air in her lungs her feet sunk effortlessly to the sandy bottom, and a fine veil of energy enveloped her form. She turned to Luka, who in the weightless suspension of the shimmering spell, appeared as ethereal as any sea deity sung of in siren tales.

“Breathe.” 

_ ‘Are you crazy?’ _Mercedes wanted to argue. Even if she believed Luka, she doubted she could get her body to obey such an outlandish request. But the priestess squeezed her hands and demonstrated plainly, inhaling deep. It was as if her spell acted as a barrier, letting only the oxygen of the water seep in, while her exhale trickled out in a string of tiny bubbles.

So this was how Luka survived in the lake.

“Try it.”

Limericks of gullible sailors filled Mercedes’s head again. In spite of them, she took a tentative breath. No water. Just air. Luka’s powers were … scary, in their magnitude.

“The spell should hold, so long as I am conscious. I advise against straying too far though, just to be cautious.”

“Believe me, I’m not going anywhere without you,” Mercedes humored nervously. Hearing her own voice underwater was surreal, like this was all some strange dream wrought from exhaustion.

With a smile, Luka delicately released her hands and propelled herself forward into the water. “What I want to show you is this way, beyond the reef. It’s a bit of a journey, but I think you’ll like it.”

The pirate followed quickly behind her, until she was swimming in stride with Luka through the vast coral bed. It wasn’t long before they came upon their destination, one kilometer off the shore and several meters deep. An old ship lay on its side in the depths, half consumed by the elements. It had become a home to thousands of colorful fish, which circled the pair as they approached.

“The Federation will sometimes ask me to locate recent shipwrecks, to reclaim salvage for either the state or the rightful property owners. There are far more wrecks in the ocean than they know of, however — with much still to offer.”

To make her point, Luka combed her fingers through the sand and picked up a pristine shard of magicite. She placed it in Mercedes’s palm, hinting at the bounty still hidden within the ship.

“This wreck is already a few decades old. No one has laid claim to it.” Luka trailed off, turning her attention back to the fish. “I was content to let them have what remains of the cargo … but if I let you have it instead, what would you do with it?”

The priestess’s eyes met hers, and here it was; a test, perhaps. What sort of answer was Luka looking for? She was very aware that the priestess’s spell was the only thing shielding her from the pressure and depth of the ocean. If she was unhappy with Mercedes’s response … No. She was capable of letting her drown, yes, but was nowhere near capable of mustering the malice to do so. She trusted Luka. Even if this was a test, she wanted Luka to trust her too.

“Leaving the cargo here is a waste,” Mercedes told her honestly. “I wouldn’t hand it over to the Federation either, if that’s the sort of answer you’re looking for. I would sell it, pay the crew, and give the excess to Seaking.”

Perching herself on one of the deck rails, Luka gave her a fond smile. “Then you’re welcome to this ship. I know of a few more as well, if you’re willing to make the journey.”

“That could amount to quite a fortune,” Mercedes warned, looking confused. “Why tip me off and not the Federation?”

“Because you and I are fighting the same battle on different fronts,” Luka said. “You’re using the bounty to care for others, are you not? This will help. The Federation cannot miss what never existed to them. So it’s our secret.”

Mercedes felt that familiar flutter in her chest again. There was nothing illegal or inherently wrong with what Luka was doing for her, but there was a clear implication of favoritism. She understood the heart of Mercedes’s motives, and was helping where she could without overstepping her post.

Luka was — the most amazing individual Mercedes had ever met.

“In that case, we should get back to the crew with these coordinates while there’s still daylight. I’m sure they’ll be ecstatic.” She watched Luka push off the rail, and gave her a brief smile before shifting to swim. She had a feeling she would be hunting cargo again after their journey was over. Underwater, however, simply had never crossed her mind. 


	33. Once a Thief

Prompt: Shadow Raven | Pt. I   
Summary: Mercedes is confronted by a man from a storybook.  
Timeline: Married  
Rating: G

(Contains spoilers from _ The Legendary Raven _ quest)

-

The port was desolate when she finally left the warehouse. It was late into the night, and the chilly ocean air had conjured enough fog to cloud the canals and nearby passageways. It hung low on the streets, the sort of damp humidity that clung to your skin and muffled every sound of the outside world. Mercedes looked forward to being out of it soon, away from the nip of Olderion winter and into the warm sheets of her bed.

Her mind wandered as her legs moved of their own accord. By now she knew the route well enough to walk it with her eyes closed. It would have been another mundane trip, were it not for an unexpected encounter on the northern bridge.

She sobered to attention when a silhouette came into focus. Beneath the veil of a lamppost, a man was perched with a book splayed open in his hands. She couldn’t decide what upset her more; the fact that the book _ belonged _ to her, or that he’d somehow managed to procure it from _ inside _her home. She would be livid if Luka had been there, alone and asleep. Fortunately she was at Lake Dorr.

Mercedes recognized the man immediately. She’d seen him throughout the week, felt his eyes on her. She knew he was tailing her, though she hadn’t expected him to be so brazen about it now.

“That’s sentimental,” Mercedes said flatly, downplaying her trepidation, “Hand it over.”

“It’s a first edition,” the man responded. “The pages are dog-eared and water stained. It’s obviously been on quite a journey with you.”

Mercedes kept her mouth shut. What the book meant to her was none of his business. It was one of only a handful of possessions she’d taken with her when fleeing home, and he had no right to the memories it evoked. Memories of her mother’s patient efforts to teach her to read. Memories of cicada-sung summer days at the lake, where she would read aloud to Luka, and the priestess would smile back with a knowing tenderness that Mercedes hadn’t quite understood at the time.

“I read this story when I was little. It shaped the person that I am today.” He closed the book and looked over at her, the lamplight accenting the gold of his eyes. “Perhaps you were similarly inspired?”

“It’s just a fairytale,” Mercedes dismissed.

“One that you lived out for quite a while, if I’m not mistaken.” She eyed him suspiciously, and he continued, “Back in the days of Ruffian, rumors spread of a captain who chased ships to feed the less fortunate, rather than fill her pockets. She disappeared around the same time that a certain Baron Enterprise was established in Olderion. A sanctuary for the poor followed not soon after. Though run by the Federation, it’s said that Baron Enterprise funnels nearly all of its profits into the shelter’s upkeep — allowing the facility to expand and run with ease.”

Mercedes thinned her lips. “What makes you think any of that is connected?”

“Just a feeling at first,” the man shrugged. “I started this goose chase hoping to find the captain. My colleague Pavlo was a client of hers, you see. She would sell him stolen cargo on the black market.”

Against her better judgement she rolled her eyes, remembering the vain, flamboyant merchant. She’d stopped supplying his inventory after learning of his self-indulgent ambitions. 

“Pavlo gave a very — _ colorful _ description of her appearance. It wasn’t difficult cross-referencing it with the Ruffian refugees at the sanctuary. There was a very unanimous answer as to whom that captain was, Ms. Baron.”

“Then what do you want?” she asked curtly. 

“An alliance,” he said, and shifted to bow. “My name is Shade. I am the current leader of the Shadow Raven organization, a far-reaching network of noble thieves. I’m looking to extend our reach to Olderion, to create a new vault and avail our services to the people. Given your history, I can think of no finer candidate to represent us in this country than you.”

Mercedes frowned. She’d heard rumblings of the name across the eastern hemisphere, particularly in Zoldaad. She’d considered it more an ideology than an actual group, however. 

“An alliance. With a man from a storybook, who’s been stalking me for the past week.” 

“Please understand that was necessary,” Shade offered as an apology. “I had to ensure these chivalrous accounts surrounding you were true. From what I’ve gathered around the town and your records, I can comfortably say now that your reputation precedes you.”

“Alright. You’ve done your research. So you should know who I married,” she argued back, crossing her arms, “I’m a pardoned citizen and an honest business owner. Associating myself with thieves again is treason. Not only against the Federation but my wife as well.”

“Is it not called for, in some exceptional circumstances?” At the dangerous look she shot him he smiled. “The spouse of the Water Priestess should know more than anyone.”

Mercedes grimaced again. Olderion wasn’t like most nations. The Federation cared for its citizens dearly, and its policies reflected society’s wellbeing as a whole. There was very little corruption at the top. Or, at least, there _ hadn’t _ been.

Fear had a funny way of corroding people’s morals. Once monsters had become a regular nuisance in the country, merchants used the danger as leverage to gouge their prices. Common-folk were being overcharged for food, potions, and protection.

The situation perpetually frustrated Luka. She had sensible solutions to remedy the growing concerns of the people, but she didn’t have the ear of the council. Mercedes’s competitors had bought up not only the bulk of Olderion’s supply chain, but also the favor of those in power.

Legally, there was very little the two of them could do to combat these trouble-makers. But if a third party were to get involved — … No. It was too risky. If she was found affiliated with an underground band of thieves, it was Luka who would ultimately pay the price for it.

Closing her eyes, Mercedes shook her head decisively. “We have things covered here.”

Shade nodded, as though he’d been expecting that answer. With a brief smile he approached her, then offered the stolen book. “For now, I suppose you do. Should you change your mind, I implore you to seek me out in Gaberada.”

She took the novel into her hands, staring down at the gold-leaf emblazoned title of _ The Great Raven_. Shade walked passed her into the night, stopping only briefly before he could be swallowed by the rolling fog.

“I commend you for trying to act in accordance with the law,” he said. “But if I’ve learned anything from my years in this organization, Ms. Baron, it’s that rules have a nasty habit of impeding justice. Personally, I don’t think you’re through playing the part of the noble thief just yet.”

Bringing the book to her side, Mercedes continued forward across the bridge. She had no further words for the presumptuous man. Whether or not she agreed with him was irrelevant. She and Luka were doing what they could to protect the less fortunate in Olderion. Extreme measures were not warranted at present. The future was a different story. If matters escalated uncorrected, perhaps they would need an ally in time.

Before that decision to collaborate, however, she had her own research to do on the Shadow Ravens first.


	34. Too Close for Comfort

Prompt: Limit  
Summary: A near-death experience leaves Luka furious.  
Timeline: Married  
Rating: T (mentioned violence)

-

Staring up at the ceiling, Mercedes had a hard time remembering how she’d gotten there. Her mind thrummed with a dull ache. Her body felt frozen, like gravity itself was bearing down on her immeasurably. Why couldn’t she move? What had happened?

The fragmented memories came back to her in increments. She remembered the attack. The beast. The struggle to fend it off, to keep its attention away from the townsmen. Then, the peril of being pushed back. Of falling. Of talons slamming into her abdomen. Puncturing. Pulling. Crimson rifts torn deep into tissue, and unbearable pain.

It took a great deal of energy to move her hand. She managed to drag it to her middle, so as to assess the damage. No bandages. No wounds. Just smooth skin. She couldn’t have dreamt the incident, however. She felt absolutely horrid.

With a grunt she attempted to sit up, though the feat felt impossible. She relented just as her partner walked into the room. Luka’s expression twitched in surprise, before it morphed back into the stoic one it had been previously.

The priestess set down the fresh linens she’d been carrying and approached the bed. She deftly helped Mercedes into a seated position, then sat behind her to keep her elevated. Reaching for a canister on the nightstand she held it to Mercedes’s lips. It was an herbal restorative, she recognized it from the pungent scent. She strained to lift her arm and hold the container more securely. It was only then that she noticed the sickly pallor that had overtaken her complexion.

She took in a few slow, long swigs of the potion, until Luka deemed she’d had enough and returned it to the nightstand. Her thumb then pressed against her wrist, monitoring her pulse, and after a short while there was a quiet, clearly annoyed exhale from behind her.

“Am I in trouble?” she felt compelled to ask.

“You had no right fighting that monster on your own,” Luka said. Her tone left little guessing room. She was angry. “You should have waited for me.”

“I thought I could handle it,” Mercedes defended weakly.

Luka’s grip on her wrist tightened, her body going rigid against her weight. “You’re  _ not _ strong enough,” she snapped, refusing to mince her words, “You aren’t infallible, Mercedes. If you lose enough blood I  _ can’t _ revive you — no matter how hard I try. Do you have any idea how close you were to that? You could have died.”

“It couldn’t be helped. It cornered civilians.” They had been separated in the attack. Luka hadn’t seen the predicament that forced her into such a dangerous battle. Her options were limited; she could either draw the monster away, or she could let defenseless citizens be slaughtered.

“Isn’t that the point of being a Warden?” she asked. “To risk your life to defend Olderion?”

Silence fell over the pair, and Luka released her hold to wipe a tear from her face. It was a vain attempt. Mercedes could feel her breathing getting heavier against her back. She heard the strained intake of air and knew she was crying. Piecing her words together, it didn’t take long to understand why. 

_ You’re not strong enough. You’re weak. Weak like Elle. You’ll die, like Elle. _

That’s right. She was like Elle; weak and stubborn and just as foolhardy. No wonder Luka was upset. “I’m sorry,” was all she could offer. Sorry for frightening Luka. Sorry that she would probably do it again.

The smaller woman folded forward and wrapped her arms around her more securely. Her tears were wet against her shoulder as she took in a shaky breath. “Don’t leave me here alone,” she berated miserably.

Mercedes brought a hand up to pet her hair, then tilted to kiss her cheek in condolence.


	35. Leap of Faith*

Summary: Luka x Mercedes, and a semi-unorthodox attempt at baby-making.   
Timeline: Married  
Rating: M (sexually explicit content. F/F, F/F/M)

-

Mercedes hung her coat at the door in utter exhaustion. Another day of crunching numbers and cataloging manifests. As of late she was becoming more record-keeper than captain. That was the burden of entrepreneurship, however. If she wanted to keep her company afloat she would need to put in the time and paperwork – uninspiring though it was, compared to the colorful adventures of her past. Even so, it made her temples ache by nightfall. Perhaps it was finally time to invest in an assistant.

Walking down the hallway she noted how very quiet the Warden home was. By now there would typically be an eight-year-old anchored around her waist, prattling endlessly about her lessons earlier that day. When she reached the kitchen the only person to be found there was her wife.

“Hey,” she greeted, pecking her on the lips. “Where is everyone?” 

“Arsha and Ellie are at her family’s tonight,” Luka said. 

“And your brother?”

“Nichol is – wherever Nichol is.”

“I see.” Mercedes studied her for a few seconds, her hand running along her shoulder. “Everything alright?”

“Yes,” Luka assured. She gave a vague smile and gestured toward the table. “Sit. I’ll bring you something to eat.” 

Mercedes did as she instructed, though not without a sense of unease. Something felt off, and it was beginning to rattle her nerves. Luka came back with a small plate of food and an empty glass, setting it before her. She then uncorked an expensive bottle of whiskey and poured a hefty serving. Now she _ knew _ something was off. She reserved her drinking for special occasions only, and Luka was never one to condone the activity to begin with.

“Trust me. You’ll need it,” she said, placing the bottle on the table.

Mercedes felt her stomach churn, already coming up with a thousand horrific possibilities. “Did something happen to one of the ships?” 

“No, nothing like that.”

“The sanctuary? Was someone arrested or -” She quieted as Luka’s hand fell over her own, squeezing.

“Nothing bad. I promise.” Her cerulean eyes were deep and sincere, and she waited for Mercedes to regain her trust before continuing. “I found someone. I asked and he’s willing to help us.”

Mercedes let out an audible exhale. She knew exactly what Luka meant. They’d discussed having a family together for years. While neither had reservations about adoption, Mercedes was made aware time and time again that Luka wanted her to be their child’s biological mother. For silly and sentimental reasons, of course.

With Mercedes’s thirtieth birthday approaching, she’d finally agreed to start trying. She had very specific stipulations, however. She wanted to keep their donor anonymous; as in someone she didn’t know, and wouldn’t potentially run into in Olderion. They also agreed that he couldn’t be of Warden descent. Luka may have openly accepted her path in life, but their child deserved to at least be given a choice. As it was, neither of them were comfortable asking Nichol for this particular sort of assistance anyway.

Those requests aside, she had no other objections. Luka was free to choose whomever she wanted, so long as they understood exactly what they were consenting to. What qualities or characteristics Luka had in mind were a complete mystery to Mercedes. All she knew was that they’d gone several months without speaking of it, and now it was suddenly happening.

“Okay. Okay,” Mercedes said out loud, more-so reassuring herself than her partner. “When?”

“Tonight.”

“_Tonight_?” Sure the timing was impeccable, but that was so soon! 

“He’ll be gone from Olderion tomorrow, and likely won’t return for quite a while.” Luka ran her thumb over her knuckles supportively. “I understand it’s sudden, but I have a strong feeling about this. It’s worth trying. However, I won’t pressure you to do anything you’re not ready for.”

“I’ll do it,” Mercedes responded. She took another breath and held it in her chest, then nodded. “This is what we want. No sense in shying away from it now, right?”

“Right,” Luka agreed, leaning over to kiss her lips. “Thank you for trusting me.”

Mercedes gave a lopsided grin and kissed her back. “Like I wouldn’t.”

-

She stepped into their bedroom clean and dry after a calming soak. Luka was already in her sleeping clothes, and she stood and approached her as she closed the door. 

“How do you feel?” 

“Less nervous, more tipsy,” Mercedes admitted. While she was in the bath one glass had turned into three, and though she was fully cognizant she certainly had a noticeable buzz going on. Which was more or less for the better. Drunk Mercedes was the equivalent of an affectionate housecat. Sober Mercedes had a good chance of punching their donor’s lights out. 

“We can work with that,” said Luka, and pulled at the knot of Mercedes’s robe. “Here, put this on.”

Mercedes lifted her arms out of the way as Luka reached around her waist, securing a soft leather cord with a charm that hung just below her navel. “What is it?” 

“A fertility amulet.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“It will increase our odds of conception.”

“This is so weird,” Mercedes murmured. Then again, they’d entertained stranger ideas. 

Luka made a face. “Think what you will but Wardens of the past have sworn by this amulet.”

“_This _ amulet?” How many generations had worn it? That hardly seemed sanitary.

“Focus, love, focus,” Luka chided softly. She ran her hands along her wife’s bare hips, serving to distract her. “You still wish to keep this anonymous?”

“Yes. Less I know about ‘em the better.”

“Very well.” Taking her hands she guided her over to the bed, sitting her down on its edge. From her outer robe she produced a handkerchief, and with great care she wrapped it around Mercedes’s eyes. Once secured, she waved her hand in front of her. “Can you see anything?”

“Just black.”

She leaned closer, speaking only inches away, “How about now?”

Mercedes shook her head. Tempted by the proximity of her voice she tilted forward for a kiss. Luka deliberately stepped back, amused. She was at her mercy, unaware of where she was or what she would do next. The priestess took a moment to consider her options, then reached out and skimmed her fingers along her wife’s collarbones, peeling back the silken fabric of her robe as she went. It fell to a heap around her hips.

From there her nails ghosted along her strong shoulders, down her ribs and back up. Mercedes’s lip pouted, her head inclining upward. Instead of the kiss she knew she wanted, Luka pressed into the exposed crook of her neck and kissed her there instead. Mercedes practically purred, giving her more access while her hands sought her out. Luka grabbed them before they could find their way into her clothes, redirecting them back onto the covers below. She applied the slightest pressure when she released them, as if imploring her to stay put. 

Luka kissed her way down Mercedes’s collar, across her sternum and lower. Her abdominal muscles twitched beneath her lips, tightening as she realized where she was heading. She pushed between her legs, spreading them to kneel on the floor in front of her. Coming to the apex of her thighs she kissed her there softly at first. Luka was typically fond of taking her time. But soon enough her pink tongue was out and laving across her sensitive flesh, causing Mercedes to moan her appreciation and lay back onto the duvet. 

She bit her lip and arched her hips, completely absorbed in the feel of her wife’s hot mouth. Her hand reached down to pet her hair, and Luka took it as her cue to up the ante; slowly teasing two digits against her entrance before pressing them inside. The pace she set was steady, easily building Mercedes into a quick frenzy. Combined with the fervent attention of her tongue and lips, she knew she would unravel in a matter of seconds. 

“Just like that,” Mercedes praised, her hips rolling more urgently. She tightened around her fingers, already teetering on the precipice of release. Before she could obtain it, however, her partner suddenly withdrew. “Luka,” she accused. Her head fell back to the mattress. She’d been so close.

Hands skimmed along her thighs, and once they reached her knees Luka used them to help pull herself up. Mercedes let out a disgruntled sound, her hand steering toward the area that so desperately craved attention. Luka swatted it away gently, then disappeared from the sight-deprived woman’s world.

Mercedes brought her arms up over her head, her chest rising and falling as she fought to calm down. Were she any less inebriated and aroused, she might have considered covering up when she heard quiet murmurs in the doorway. In her present state, however, she couldn’t give a flying fuck who saw her. She just wanted Luka to come back and touch her.

As if answering her plea Luka returned from the darkness, wrapping her arms under hers from behind and pulling her up against her. She tilted Mercedes’s face toward her and kissed her passionately. The older woman moaned as Luka reached down and began to stroke her in earnest. The embers of her denied orgasm came roaring back with a vengeance, leaving Mercedes to squirm and arch as she was brought almost immediately to the height of climax. Again she was at that edge. And again her wife withdrew. 

Before she could vent her frustration Luka spoke first, her voice soft and close to her ear. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes whatever, just touch me,” she demanded. But instead of Luka’s delicate hands, she felt a second larger pair carefully take hold of her hips and lift them. Startled, she nearly kicked out at the intruder. Luka grabbed her leg and stilled it instead, reminding her of their arrangement with a gentle squeeze of her upper knee.

“Right — Okay. Ready,” Mercedes asserted. She tilted her head and captured Luka’s lips again, using her as a distraction. There was little distraction from what would come next however, and she arched when she felt their patron slowly ease inside of her. Her hands anchored onto her wife, gripping tight at the cloth of her robes. “Luka,” she gasped.

“I’m right here,” she assured, kissing her neck. Her hands cupped Mercedes’s breasts, her breathing heavy and uneven in her ear as she held her. The man rocked into her in a calm purposeful rhythm, and she groaned. She was so close to the edge that it made her feel sick. But she couldn’t bring herself to let go. Not for a stranger. 

Aware of her reservations Luka leaned over and kissed her hard, pressing her tongue into her mouth as her hand swept down to stimulate her again. Mercedes’s hips jerked under her ministrations, and she eventually had to break their kiss, moaning helplessly as she fought against the sensation. “It’s okay,” Luka whispered in her ear. “Come for me.”

The words undid her. She clung onto Luka as her climax tore through her; muscles convulsing in ecstasy, and ultimately triggering the same response in their donor. With a final few thrusts he came with a quiver, emptying deep inside of her. Mercedes flushed madly and buried her face in Luka’s neck, trying not to think about it too much.

After a quiet minute he carefully withdrew. Grabbing one of the pillows by the headboard he placed it under her hips, making sure they remained elevated.

“Thank you,” she heard Luka say, and presumed he answered with a nod. Mercedes wavered, wondering if she ought to say something too. Personally she didn’t want to. But given the circumstances it seemed as though that would be incredibly inconsiderate.

“Uh … thanks,” she managed uncomfortably. “… Sorry I tried to kick you.”

She felt a hand on her stomach. It patted twice, as if to say good luck, before the man stepped away completely. There were footsteps, then the door opened and slipped shut.

Delicately, Mercedes felt Luka grasp the handkerchief and pull it from her eyes. She blinked and squinted for a bit, her emerald orbs focusing in on her wife’s tender expression. Luka ran her hand along her cheek and leaned in, pecking her several times on the lips.

“What now?” Mercedes asked, breaking the silence.

“We wait,” said Luka, holding her more securely. “We see if it takes. And if it doesn’t, we send for him and try again.”

“And you’re okay with that?” she asked, searching her eyes. “If this was difficult for you it’s alright to admit it.” Her own discomfort was one matter, but she was far more concerned with Luka’s. She remembered the sound of her breathing in her ear, the possessive manner in which she’d kissed her. She wasn’t showing it, but she could very well be hurting. If their roles were reversed, Mercedes doubted she could make it through the ordeal without feeling bothered or jealous. 

Luka’s cheeks darkened and she looked away. “I didn’t mind.”

“That’s hardly convincing.”

She flushed a little deeper and took Mercedes’s hand. Instead of words she guided it into her nightgown. It slipped beneath the waistband of her panties, and Mercedes’s brows lifted at what she found. “Oh. I suppose you didn’t mind, did you?”

“Hush,” Luka berated, and trembled with a soft intake when Mercedes ground her fingers against her sopping core.

“Let me.”

“I don’t want you moving,” she murmured.

“Then I won’t move.”

Luka pressed her lip, quickly reminded of just how aroused she was as her wife continued to stroke her. She slipped out from behind her carefully, allowing her to lie back on the bed. She then made quick work of her clothing and straddled Mercedes on her hands and knees. The older woman pulled her down for a kiss, running her hands across her breasts and down her sides. When she reached her hips she grabbed them firmly, hiking them towards her. 

Luka was forced to end their kiss and scoot forward, barely managing to sit up before she felt Mercedes’s mouth against her folds. Her arms locked her hips in place, that talented tongue of hers already busy and wreaking havoc on her nerves. Luka threw her head back and moaned quietly, her thighs trembling under the sensation.

She brought her hand beside Mercedes’s head and bore her weight down slightly, seeking release. In response Mercedes pressed into her more ardently, driven by a single-minded desire to make her come. She gripped Luka’s hips tighter and practically assaulted her clit, kissing and sucking until she was a quivering mess, grinding against her mouth in shameless abandon. She came twice before Mercedes let her go.

Afterward, nestled side by side atop the covers, Luka allowed her fingers to trail the taut plane of her wife’s stomach. Her eyes fell to the charm still strung around Mercedes’s waist, and with a soft exhale she nuzzled into her shoulder. “I hope it takes.”

“I hope so too.”

Drawing patterns across her skin, Luka said a silent prayer in her mind. 

-

Lid’s eyes popped open when she heard the airship’s heavy hatch door close. She rolled onto her front and peeked over the edge of her bunk, just in time to see her brother meander into the cabin. He rubbed at his neck and sat down on the bottom bunk opposite her, looking lost in his thoughts. 

“How’d it go?” she asked sheepishly.

Evan wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “That isn’t something I wanna discuss with my lil sis.”

“I’m not asking for the details,” she growled back. Mindful of his far-off expression, however, she quickly corrected her tone. “You okay?”

“I’ll be alright,” he insisted. “Just feels a little weird, y’know?”

Lid held her pillow tighter and nodded. “I’ll bet … But – Luka’s a dear friend. We bonded over havin’ pain-in-the-ass brothers.” Evan rolled his eyes, and she paused to chuckle. “All I’m sayin’ is, it means a lot to me that you’re helping. Those two are gonna be great parents.”

“No question about that,” he said. “Hope it works for ‘em.”

“I hope so too.” She grinned. “Then I’ll get at least one niece or nephew out of this. Heaven knows you ain’t settlin’ down and havin’ kids on your own.”

“Shaddup and go to bed, twerp.” 

-

(A/N: Reasons why Evan is the designated baby daddy; A) Mercedes doesn’t know him, though they could have crossed paths in Grandshelt, B) Lid encouraged it, C) It plays into the storyline later D) I already drew the character design and they’re cute af with red hair.

I’m aware this is atypical baby-making for F/F couples. I’ll remind you this is pre-modern-era fiction and the author owns up to being a degenerate bisexual. I’ve been considerate to write this as inoffensively as possible regardless.)


	36. Earth Shrine

Prompt: Crystal  
Summary: Luka confesses her aspirations, however terrifying they may be to Mercedes.  
Timeline: Post-sequel  
Rating: G

-

“It’s beyond this door.”

The knight slowed to a halt in front of the heavy stone barricade. Then, with a glance toward her subordinates, she silently ordered them to pry the entrance open. The hinges groaned and echoed through the dark interior as the path was cleared, and the scent of fresh, rich earth soon filled the chamber.

Luka hesitated to approach at first. Her gaze drifted back to their companion. “If at all possible — would you allow us to proceed unaccompanied?”

Charlotte frowned. Outsiders were typically denied access to the shrine. The Water Priestess was here on invitation from the king, however. As an ambassador of Olderion she was expected to honor their alliance and treat the sacred site with reverence. She could be trusted, yes, but the knight still had reservations about letting the two of them out of her sight.

A threat to the Earth Crystal endangered not only the Kingdom of Grandshelt, but Lapis at large.

Yet she knew Luka; knew the kind soul that she was, and knew they had little to fear from the priestess seeking solitude for her prayers. If only this once, Charlotte could allow an exception.

“We’ll be right here,” she said. “If I hear anything suspicious I’m coming in.”

“Understood. Thank you.” 

With a silent bow Luka entered the chamber. Mercedes followed suit, falling in stride with Luka as they strayed farther from the party. The short stone-cut passage gave way to the heart of the shrine, where the Earth Crystal shimmered in golden radiance. Mercedes squinted until her eyes could adjust, and slowly the form suspended within the crystal came into view.

Fina. The woman who saved the world from destruction, by entombing herself in crystal.

Nichol had told them the story, the tale of two Finas; one that Luka had journeyed with, and another that Mercedes had. They were indebted to the Hessian Fina’s sacrifice, for as she slept the two worlds of Lapis and Paladia remained apart.

“Mercedes.” Turning toward her partner, she watched her run her hand along the crystal with a somber fondness. Luka’s eyes never left Fina’s slumbering features when she continued, “If I told you we would not grow old together, would you love me any more? Any less?”

The captain stiffened uncomfortably. It was out of the blue, and she didn’t exactly know how to respond.

“For centuries Olderion was blessedly free of monsters. We owed that serenity in part to the Water God, and to the power of the Water Crystal. Now, we have neither to rely on. I fear in time our battles will become more arduous, and our adversaries ever stronger.”

Turning from the crystal, Luka held her gaze. “I admire Fina’s resolve. Should circumstances call for it, I wish to follow her example; to form a new Water Crystal, for the purpose of better protecting the aquapolis.” 

Taking in the growing dismay on her partner’s face, Luka calmly clasped at the ring strung around her neck. “I thought it prudent to bring you here, before we start a life together. I need to know that you will accept my decisions going forward. By marrying a Warden, you understand that my priority will always be Olderion’s wellbeing. You’ll choose the good of many over me.”

Mercedes stared back at her speechlessly. What could she possibly say to that? No. Luka had to know that was the answer, or she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to bring them there. No. She wasn’t prepared to lose Luka. She was more incline to fight tooth and nail to ensure her safety, come hell or high water. 

Yet if she voiced her opposition to these bold ambitions of self-sacrifice, what were the repercussions? Was it sound enough reason for Luka to leave her? To terminate their engagement?

“You’re hesitating.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” Mercedes responded. Her throat was tight, her voice dry. Her eyes darted back to the crystal; to Fina, comatose and virtually lifeless. The thought of Luka succumbing to a similar fate left her absolutely numb. “I need to think about this.”

“I see.” The priestess’s gaze fell to the floor. There was a forlornness to her expression, before she collected it under an impassive mask and faced her intended. “Then we will discuss the matter later. For now, I would like to commune with Fina privately please.” 

Mercedes felt the faint bubblings of anger and helplessness fill her at the dismissal. She quashed those bitter emotions with a steeled jaw and walked toward the exit.

“You’re leaving?” Charlotte asked, curious as she breezed passed the knights in the corridor.

“Need some air,” Mercedes muttered, “When Luka’s done escort her back to the ship, will you?”

She didn’t bother listening for a response. She was more concerned with keeping herself composed. Her nails dug into her palms and she forced her legs to stop shaking, all the while arguing with herself over how poorly she was handling this. 

Why was she surprised? She’d _ met _ Luka at Lake Dorr. She _ knew _ how far she would go to protect her people. It was foolish of her to assume that would ever change, or get easier with time. Luka had always accepted her destiny, had always been prepared to offer her life in the line of duty. Mercedes had no one else to blame but herself, for choosing to be with her regardless.

Trying to stay calm, she blinked back tears and took deep breaths of the forest air. She couldn’t be seen like this. Beneath the bravado she was more fragile than she would ever care to admit. She’d been through so much already, she couldn’t stomach the thought of letting Luka go. She _ wouldn’t_, no matter _ who _ her sacrifice would save.

Merciful heavens, just what had she gotten herself in to?  
Regardless of her feelings on the matter they were doomed either way.

If Luka truly wished to become the new Water Crystal, then there was little Mercedes could do or say to dissuade her. When the time came, she could only pray that she would already be gone; having perished in her efforts to prevent this tragedy.

—

(A/N: This segment gave me writer’s block, but it’s somewhat necessary for future chapters.  
  
Luka doesn't have the Sacred Vessel of Paladia, which is why she's consulting Fina for advice on what she could use and how much stronger she needs to be. While I'm not writing their conversation, we can say Dark Fina broke her energy-storing hibernation if only briefly to commune, though discouraged Luka from doing anything so foolish - seeing as there are others who care for her dearly and would miss her. Regardless, Luka believes it's her responsibility to protect the aquapolis, and fully intends to entomb herself in crystal if it will restore Olderion to the way it was.) 


	37. Blame the Waves

Summary: Rukh’s been keeping an eye on the captain.  
Timeline: Married  
Rating: G

-

Mercedes cleared her throat as she left the cabin, giving a fleeting glance toward the crew at work. No one seemed to notice her hasty dismissal earlier that morning, and for that she was grateful. Rubbing at her brow she mounted the steps up to the helm, where Rukh greeted her with a cautious look before directing his attention forward.

“Sick again?”

“Mm,” was all she responded with. Still feeling nauseous, she thought better of idle conversation. Rukh was never much of a talker to begin with.

“It’s been over two weeks.”

“I know.” Sucking in a long breath, she tried to settle her stomach.

“And we’re still pretending that’s normal.”

Mercedes shrugged and leaned against the guardrail. “You haven’t gotten it. Whatever it is it’s obviously not contagious.”

Rukh snorted, a short, snide sort of noise that surprised her. “About the course,” he then said, “I suggest we sail east, take the coast of Kolobos around.”

“Why? This is the fastest route to Lanzelt.”

“Through several sahagin dens.”

“Hasn’t stopped us before.”

With a stern shake of his head Rukh kept his eyes forward. “Sound the order to change course, captain, or I will.”

She stared at him in amazement. What had gotten _ into _ him, to brave such blatant insubordination.

“A request from Lady Luka,” he said calmly. “She asked me to mitigate any risks you might take on this voyage, given your — delicate state.”

Absorbing the words, Mercedes felt her cheeks grow warm. She turned her eyes to the rail and picked at it nervously. “She told you, did she?”

He nodded.

“Does anyone else know?”

“Only me.”

“Good.” She moved closer, crossing her arms as she looked ahead. “I don’t need the lot treating me any different for it. Then I’ll _ really _ be nauseous.”

Rukh gave another faint chuckle, barely audible on the wind. “How far along, do you think?”

“Ten weeks or so.” 

“Are you excited?”

“More — terrified out of my wits, actually.”

“It’ll pass,” Rukh said, and after a measure of silence continued. “There’s no greater feeling in this world than being a parent.”

Mercedes frowned, sympathetic. That was one of the more open admissions Rukh had ever shared with her, even after fifteen long years of camaraderie. He always kept his distance, and she’d learned early on why from rumors spread amongst the crew. 

He’d had a wife and young daughter when he lived in Zoldaad. In a skirmish with the rebellion, the military had burned his village to the ground. He’d lost them both, and fled the country when that same military demanded he enlist. The Rukh she knew was a reflection of that travesty, and she couldn’t fault him for that.

“You’re not going to mother-hen me for the rest of this trip now, are you?” she asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Depends on how well you behave,” he deadpanned. “And how quickly you give those orders to change course.”

Mercedes let out an exaggerated groan and whistled for the crew’s attention.

She had to hand it to Luka. She’d picked a hell of a watchdog to look after her wife.


	38. The Letter

Prompt: Photograph  
Summary: Evan receives news from Olderion.  
Timeline: Married  
Rating: G

-

He’d forgotten to take his boots off upon entering his home. Coat still on, keys dropped carelessly to the kitchen table, his eyes remained fixed on the seal of the envelope he held. He recognized the aegean wax, the crest of Leviathan, and knew immediately who had sent it.

Evan pulled out a chair and sat down. His stomach fluttered with hesitation. It had been quite a while since his presence was requested of the priestess. He’d just assumed that — perhaps, they’d given up. Or, they no longer wished for his assistance. 

Maybe his gaze lingered a little too long. 

Maybe he smiled too wide when Luka told him her name. 

Maybe the priestess began to suspect, in those few infrequent visits, that Evan was developing a strange sort of crush on her mysterious wife.

He couldn’t blame her. She wasn’t entirely wrong. Of course he had absolutely no intention of overstepping the rules she had set for them. At times, it was simply hard to ignore how beautiful a woman Mercedes was.

Placing his thumb at the seal of the envelope Evan pried open the wax. Uncertainty ebbed to curiosity when he discovered no letter inside, only a single sepia photograph. He pulled it out and held it to the light for a better look.

There the couple stood in the Olderion sunshine, beaming warmly at the cameraman, with a small bundle tucked between the two of them.

Evan wasn’t prepared for the emotions that ran through him. He cupped his mouth and stared; stared at the sleeping infant, his tiny overalls and his cute button nose.

That was his son. 

His _ son! _

… _ Their _ son.

He took a breath and tried to straighten his thoughts. He knew what he’d agreed to. In a perfect world, where his parents and relatives were alive and healthy, this child would never know him. He knew that. He’d been perfectly fine with that. Yet seeing the photograph, a primal force in him wanted nothing more than to be there and take the babe into his arms.

Running a hand through his hair, Evan flipped the image around and read the delicate cursive of the message Luka had left. He smiled with glossy eyes. Benjamin. His boy’s name was Benjamin, and his mothers were elated to have him in their lives.

Lost in an odd euphoria, Evan stood and propped the photograph against a framed one of his sister. Maybe he’d frame it too. Or maybe he’d keep it safe and stored away. He couldn’t decide just yet.

Nevertheless, he hummed himself a pleasant tune and resumed his post-work routine with a spring in his step.


	39. The Captain's Son

Prompt: Puzzle  
Summary: With hints like these, anonymity is hard to come by.   
Timeline: Married  
Rating: G

-

Her heart felt warm, like the late spring sunshine that bathed their back terrace. She greeted Luka there, lying peacefully in a chaise longue as she watched the sunset. Their six-month-old was fast asleep on her chest. Something about that moment — she realized, it was her first time really noticing it. Whether it was the contrast of Luka’s pale tresses or the way the light silhouetted the babe’s head, she’d finally noticed. And now that she had, she was transfixed.

“What’s that look for?” Luka asked quietly.

“His hair.” Sitting beside her wife, Mercedes lightly combed her fingers through the soft burgundy tufts. Her brows matted. “I suppose my mother had hair like his, but in this lighting it just looks so … _ red_.”

Luka shifted the sleeping boy and kissed his temple. “I think it’s cute.”

“Of course it’s cute,” Mercedes murmured. “I’m just wondering where it came from.”

With a faint giggle the priestess nuzzled closer to her, offering a sweet and simple response, “Who knows, really?”

-

Luka tried to stop herself from outright laughing, for Mercedes’s sake. 

She’d bought Benjamin three toy sailboats for his first birthday. She’d wanted to show him what she did for a living, where she was when she wasn’t with him at home. The sailboats weren’t much fun bobbing in the fountain, however. Their son much preferred to see them flying through the air instead.

The captain pinched her brow and watched the excited boy squeal and circle the fountain, waving the toy in his hand like a mighty craft soaring through the sky.

Taking in her defeated expression, Luka chuckled and sat beside her wife. “You find the strangest things to be upset over.”

“I’m not upset,” Mercedes defended, though she did sound mildly indignant. “I just wish he’d keep the ships in the water where they belong.”

Smiling sympathetically, Luka turned to their son and patted her lap encouragingly. “Benni, why don’t you come back over and play with mama?”

The boy waddled to a stop and stared at his mothers. He looked vaguely tempted to obey the request, until the breeze caught the toy’s sail again, and subsequently his attention too. Letting out another yip of delight, he continued his clumsy lap around the fountain.

“How did I lose already?” Mercedes griped, if only half in jest. “Even my son prefers airships.”

Wary of what she might let slip, Luka diverted her attention back to the two remaining boats. She playfully bumped Mercedes’s ship with hers and glided it forward with her fingers. “Let him like what he likes. I still prefer the ocean.”

-

“Well ain’t you the cutest lil devil I’ve ever seen.”

Ben twittered with laughter as Lid twirled him in a circle over her head. She threw him into the air and caught him dramatically, earning another round of giggles. Saddling the eighteen-month-old onto her hip, she grinned at Luka and pointed down the hallway. “Mind if I steal him while I go nag Nichol to hurry it up?”

“By all means,” the priestess lulled.

Mercedes watched them go quietly. She’d kept to herself for most of the meeting, staring at the engineer with a strange sort of look in her eyes. She was a smart woman. Knowing the direction her thoughts must have taken, Luka lovingly ran her hand along her back and waited.

“Lid has a brother, doesn’t she?”

“She might.” Bringing her hand up she kissed Mercedes’s knuckles. “Does that bother you?”

“Surprisingly it doesn't.” With a slight chuckle, she then corrected herself. “Although Lid _ did _get horrendously seasick on my ship. If Ben suffers the same affliction, I’ll pin the blame on you.”


	40. Sea Salt

Prompt: Bathtime  
Summary: Sponge baths can get awkward when you share a cabin with your crush.   
Timeline: Deep Blue  
Rating: T+ (thirsty Luka, inappropriate Mercedes)

-

“It’s in my _ boot_.”

Luka watched the footwear fly from the open washroom door and hit the opposite wall. She heard grumbles and muffled curses before it’s companion soon followed.

“I should hate to think where else I might find it.”

The priestess tried to stifle a laugh. It had not been one of Mercedes’s finer days. They’d set out to investigate a burrow east of Lake Dorr, rumored to be a spawning ground for monsters. The claims were indeed sound, and they spent hours clearing chamber after chamber of sticky, slimy egg sacs.

Somewhere along the way, whether through carelessness or a lack of decent lighting, Mercedes had slipped up. Literally slipped. Those heels didn’t offer much traction, after all, and one good stumble over that nasty goo had sent her sliding down a slope into a shallow pool of — goodness knows what it was.

Repulsed, she’d plunged straight into the ocean afterward coat and all, and swam the whole length back to the ship.

“Do you still feel it on you?” Luka asked idly, seated on the bed. 

“Not really. It’s more just the sea brine.”

She could see the captain vaguely through the threshold, through the mirror when the candle would occasionally flare up. She’d pumped fresh water into a basin and was scrubbing at her skin with a cloth. The water closet barely had enough room to move in, however. It was a wonder why Mercedes chose to stay in there, especially with how many bumps and shuffles Luka heard as she shifted around.

“Do you need help?” The words left the priestess’s lips before she could really think them through. Helping was in her nature. It was an innocent enough question for any other woman. But this, she realized a little too late, was Mercedes; the woman who had been playing a game of cat and mouse with her heart for the last few weeks.

“Do I need help — cleaning myself?” 

Luka could already hear the amusement in her voice. “Y-yes,” she stammered. “If you’d like me to wash your back, that is.” She hated every second of this, of pretending the idea of touching Mercedes didn’t affect her, of wondering how Mercedes might interpret the genuinely sincere offer. Honestly, emotions made life far more complicated than it needed to be at times.

After a stretch of silence that seemingly went on forever, Mercedes emerged from the water closet. She carried the candle and basin to her nightstand and set them down. The entire time, Luka plainly tried to ignore the fact that she was in just her bottoms with a towel hooked around her shoulders. Mercedes really had no reservations about walking around topless. They were both women, yes, but Luka found it impossibly difficult to see her in a state of undress without wanting to stare, without feeling her heart take to distressing palpitations. It just wasn’t fair.

“I appreciate it.” Mercedes handed Luka her washcloth and sat at the edge of the bed, facing away from her. “My apologies if I don’t smell very good. I did wash my hair in the ocean, if you remember.”

“I like the scent of the ocean,” Luka reminded quietly. As Mercedes pulled the towel away the priestess swallowed, her eyes transfixed on the bare length of her neck. ‘_I wonder if you taste like it too_.’ She blushed at the intrusive thought, at the mental image of her tongue trailing that salty skin. She chose not to dwell on it as she collected Mercedes’s locks and pushed them over her shoulder.

Luka wiggled closer on the sheets and wrung the washcloth in the basin. She then brought it to Mercedes’s back and began to scrub in gentle circles. If they didn’t talk at all she would be fine with that. She didn’t trust herself not to say anything foolish, or make her feel uncomfortable. The silence told a different story to Mercedes, however.

“You haven’t asked.” 

“I’m sorry?” Luka paused, nervous. 

“Why I have those.”

Luka whisked the cloth down her back, her eyes following the coarse, raised marks along the away. Her initial curiosity about the scars had ebbed over their journey. She fell asleep looking at them more often than not, to a point where she’d normalized them as just another part of the woman she loved. 

“Do you want to tell me?” she asked tepidly. 

“Not particularly.”

“Then I don’t need to know,” she said, then reached to rinse the cloth again. It caused Mercedes to release a small laugh. “What?”

“You see the markings of a criminal and ignore them. You’re really not what I expected from a Warden of the Waters.”

The comment dampened whatever strange fire had been tickling away in her abdomen. It reminded Luka of where they were, what they were, and she was all at once disheartened. No matter how she felt toward Mercedes, entertaining a relationship of anything more than camaraderie was absurd.

“Our time together has taught me more about you than those marks ever could,” she quietly told her. “Your heart is in the right place, even if it sometimes puts you in trouble with the law.”

“I thank you for your open mindedness,” Mercedes lulled back. “Few are as kind to think that way.”

Luka stared at the sheets. It didn’t have to be like this. Mercedes didn’t have to turn to piracy in order to keep her crew fed, or keep the sanctuary in Ruffian running. It was ultimately a failure on Olderion’s part, on its neighboring nations, for not extending the proper amount of aid to these people in need. What hardship Mercedes endured in response to her crimes, Luka couldn’t help but feel partly responsible for.

“Luka?”

She snapped back to attention at the curious tone. Her hands had absent-mindedly drifted down from the woman’s back to rest at her hipbones. Her cheeks flashed red when Mercedes reached behind her to enfold those hands with her own.

“There something you want to tell me?”

There she went again, teasing her. It was maddening. Without words she _ knew _ Mercedes had figured out how she felt, and yet she insisted on trying her in this fashion. She _ delighted _ in it, to be exact, which was telling enough of her own feelings. She would poke and prod at the priestess, but she would never make a move. Likely for the same reasons Luka wouldn’t either.

Receiving no response, Mercedes let out a soft chuckle. “I see. You’re too shy to ask, aren’t you?” Tugging their hands in front of her, she slid them up her torso and over her breasts. “Dear sweet Luka, why of course you can wash my chest.”

“Mercedes!” Luka pulled her hands away as if they’d caught fire. It didn’t seem to faze the pirate, who immediately took to belly laughing at the predictable reaction. It was contagious enough to break Luka’s outrage, and she soon found herself smirking as she slapped the washcloth on the woman’s knee. 

“Done. Take care of the rest yourself.”

Mercedes feigned a pout as she looked over her shoulder. “Was it something I did?” 

“You can thank your abhorrent behavior.”

“Nonsense. You love it,” she taunted. With a devious little giggle she picked up the basin and sauntered back toward the washroom. Luka watched her go with a contented smile, her heart light with a feeling that only Mercedes could produce. 

_ ‘I really do.' _


End file.
